Rep. Tanner Endorses 'War Funding Accountability Act'
REP. TANNER ENDORSES 'WAR FUNDING ACCOUNTABILITY ACT'
Bill calls for more thorough accounting of defense spending
March 3, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. John Tanner and the Blue Dog Coalition have endorsed the War Funding Accountability Act, which demands more accountability from the Administration on how taxpayer money is spent. The President has requested an additional $82 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We must make sure the men and women who are serving us on the front lines have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively and safely," Congressman Tanner said about the bill, authored by Rep. Mike Thompson (CA). "This bill will help Congress understand how the money appropriated for the war is being spent," Tanner added.
Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Department of Defense has received more than $201 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost $458 billion over the next nine years, in addition to the amount already spent.
"If that's what it takes to get the job done, I feel certain Congress will be willing to fund it," Tanner said. "It is not acceptable, however, for Congress to continue writing blank checks to the Administration without some accountability for how the money is being spent."
The Administration has not given Congress a full audit of funding spent in Iraq and Afghanistan despite reports of wasteful spending by companies the Pentagon has hired.
The non-partisan Government Accountability Office is currently investigating the shortage of personal and vehicle armor available to troops in Iraq. Tanner and Rep. Gene Taylor (MS) requested such a study in a December letter to GAO.
"We request a full investigation by your office as to why the men and women still do not have adequately armored vehicles needed to meet their mission and safely serve our country," Tanner and Taylor wrote, stressing that defense appropriations should be used for protective armor that saves soldiers' lives.
Tanner represents Tennessee's 8th District and serves on the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 35 moderate and conservative Democrats from around the country who are known as fiscal and defense hawks.
http://www.house.gov/tanner/press109-009.htm