[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               THE IRAQ WAR AND THE IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY

  (Mr. BRALEY of Iowa asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, despite the continued lack of 
political progress in Iraq, we are still fighting and funding this war 
at a time when the country's economic future is at stake. General David 
Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, admitted last month that ``no one 
in the U.S. and Iraqi governments feels that there has been sufficient 
progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation.'' And yet 
we continue to spend $14 million every hour in Iraq, while more 
Americans are looking for work, millions of Americans are on the verge 
of losing their homes, and gas prices have hit an all-time high.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no question that when we spend $14 million an 
hour in Iraq, we are neglecting real needs here in the United States. 
But we are also hurting our economy because we aren't able to properly 
invest in America. This war has diverted nearly $1 trillion away from 
American schools, roads, research and other areas that would have 
stimulated the economy in the short-term and produced stronger economic 
growth in the long run.
  It is time to stop spending our money in Iraq and start focusing on 
helping our families here at home.

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