"US, Iraqi soldiers stand with their tanks"
Posted on 02/15/2005 6:35:35 PM PST by familyop
President Bush's request to Congress for $82 billion dollars in additional funding for military and reconstruction needs in Iraq and Afghanistan is receiving scrutiny on Capitol Hill. This comes amid growing concern among lawmakers about examples of waste, fraud and abuse in how funds were spent in Iraq.
There is little if any disagreement between Democrats and Republicans about the need for the extra money needed to support U.S. troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Republicans in control of Congress plan to move the $82 billion dollar war supplemental quickly, while subjecting it to what they call the right level of scrutiny.
Congressman Jerry Lewis of California, who heads the House Appropriations Committee, says this will include tough questions, but predicts the bill will be ready for full House consideration in March, and on President Bush's desk by early April.
Senior Bush administration officials, including Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testify to Congress this week about the spending request.
While Democrats are careful to underscore their support for U.S. troops, they insist the Bush administration should be held to a higher level of accountability.
"We have got a responsibility as a Congress, to the taxpayers and to the country, and to the objective of success [in Iraq] in assuring that money is spent effectively and applied to the objectives for which it is appropriated," said Congressman Steny Hoyer.
Some conservative and moderate House Democrats have proposed legislation called the War Funding Accountability Act.
It would require President Bush to report every 90 days on political and reconstruction planning and progress in Iraq, including details on how funds are being used for military training and other needs, and the involvement of private contractors.
California Democrat Mike Thompson is the chief sponsor.
"Any failure to adopt an accountability process toward this supplemental spending we have been doing in regard to the war[s] in Iraq and Afghanistan is a real slap in the face of the taxpayers of this country, it's a slap in the face that comes at the expense of our troops who are in harm's way," he said.
Lawmakers like to say that support for the troops is not a Democratic or Republican issue. However, politics is playing a role.
Democrats complain the Bush administration has used supplemental spending requests since U.S. forces went into Iraq to hide the true scale of war costs.
Congresswoman Jane Harman, widely respected for her role in intelligence and military issues, calls the War Funding Accountability Act an attempt to return transparency to the military funding process.
"Using the war on terror as an excuse to move most of our current defense expenditures off budget, I think is wrong-headed and needs to be corrected,” she added. “We're not just in a war on terror, we are in an era of terror and regular spending [submitted by the President] should include most of these monies."
Since 2001, Congress has approved $231 billion dollars for military and reconstruction costs in Iraq and Afghanistan. An analysis by House Democrats says winning the war against the insurgency in Iraq could end up costing between $461 billion and $646 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, hearings continue into allegations of mismanagement and waste of funds in Iraq.
"I think what is happening here is disgraceful, I think there is massive waste of taxpayer funding," said Senate Democrat Byron Dorgan.
The War Funding Accountability Act is unlikely to be approved as a separate measure by the Republican-controlled House, so Democrats will try to make it an amendment to the Iraq supplemental bill.
Among other things, the bill proposes to withhold money for reconstruction until the Bush administration provides the extensive reports to Congress detailed in the legislation.
Accountability and spending don't belong in the same sentence as Democrat. Just my opinion, of course :-)
Democrats concerned about wasting funds???????
BWAAAHAAHAAHAAHAAHAAAHAA
ROTFL. This is just too rich.
I demand accountability for the liberal moonbats collecting their fat paychecks - both above and under the table.....
/ hears sound of pants being soiled (hehehe)
That boggles the mind!
Oh,I left out Iraq,no spending on defense,only social programs.
Get some accountability for wasteful spending here in the US first, that far exceeds what we're spending (wastefully perhaps) in Iraq.
They don't give a damn for 'accountability.' They're digging for dirt to damage the Administration.
I'd have to agree with that.
I have a plans !!!
While they're at it, why don't they ask for some accountability from the U.N.? This organization's credibility is shot, along with the Democrat's arguments that issues of war and peace should be taken to the U.N. for decision.
And how many trillions have been wasted on the War on Poverty, a war with no exit strategy that is truly a quagmire.
Do you think they will ever figure out they LOST the election? People living in the red counties are tired of hearing the dems whining coming from DC. Do these misguided fools think that this is the route to take to win back power?
come = comes
Now all they need is a majority in both houses to pass a law/resolution. In the meantime they can STFU.
How about more accountability for ALL federal spending?
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