[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14680]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM ``WHERE IS THE PEACE 
 DIVIDEND? EXAMINING THE FINAL REPORT TO CONGRESS OF THE COMMISSION ON 
                         WARTIME CONTRACTING''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 4, 2011

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the committee for 
holding this important hearing on the future of our presence in Iraq 
and Afghanistan.
  As one of the first Members of Congress to oppose the war in Iraq and 
as one who has forced debate on the war in Afghanistan a number of 
times in the House, I continue to be deeply concerned by the findings 
of the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
The latest and final report highlights continued privatization of 
inherently governmental functions, a significant lack of oversight of 
contingency contractors who in many cases, are providing vital support 
services for our personnel on the ground, and an estimated waste of up 
to $60 billion thus far. Many of us were on this committee last year 
when it released a report (``Warlord Inc.'') detailing the use of U.S. 
taxpayer dollars to pay off warlords in Afghanistan and essentially 
fuel the very insurgency we are trying to quell.
  At a time when vital social services here at home are being cut in 
the name of fiscal responsibility, we would do well to take the 
recommendations and findings included in the final report of the CWC 
very seriously. It is clear from the Commission's reports that the U.S. 
Government has privatized the business of war to such a point where we 
are guaranteed to continue to see billions of dollars go unaccounted 
for and bad actors in Iraq and Afghanistan act with total impunity. And 
as the Commission points out, there will be another contingency 
operation.
  The truth is that we cannot afford these wars. According to 
Congressional Research Service, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have 
cost us over one trillion dollars. Estimates by Joseph Stiglitz and 
Linda Blimes put that number at closer to $5 trillion when you include 
the long-term costs associated with caring for returning veterans.

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