Cost of War in Iraq

Floor Speech

COST OF WAR IN IRAQ -- (House of Representatives - September 05, 2007)

Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, the President's war has already cost the American people dearly in both lives and tax dollars. Congress has appropriated nearly $477 billion for the war since March 2003, and the U.S. is currently spending an estimated $10 billion a month on the war. This spending continues despite reports that 15 of 18 benchmarks for success have not been met and casualties in the war are 65 percent higher this year than last.

This Democratic Congress and the American people are ready for a new direction. We believe it is time to bring our troops home and begin investing here in the U.S.

If you took just some of the money we are spending in Iraq and invested it here instead, we could take care of a lot of our seniors' prescription drug cost problems. And for the cost of just one week in Iraq, we could hire 51,000 more police officers to make our streets safer.

Madam Speaker, it is time for Republicans in this body to listen to the American people and join us in calling for an end to the financial drain of this war. It is time to invest in making our Nation safer here at home.

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