Congress Bridles at Spending Package

[kskiska]

True scale of American investment in Iraq revealed as French push for early handover of power to governing council

President Bush sought to push through his huge new spending package for Iraq, and to solicit international help in securing and rebuilding the country yesterday, as attacks against US troops increased.

The newly revealed small print of Mr Bush's $87bn (£54bn) funding request left many Democrats and some Republicans outraged that the administration aimed to spend more per head on Iraqi public services than it spends on each American.

(snip)

"The Bush administration, in a scant 2 years, has imperilled our country in the gravest of ways, and set us up for a possible crisis of mammoth proportions," said the outspoken Democratic senator Robert Byrd, leading a chorus of congressional attacks following the formal submission of the funding request.

Critics noted that the plan calls for spending $255 per Iraqi on electrical improvements by 2005, compared to 71 cents per American per year, and $38 per capita on hospitals compared to $3.30 in the US.

"It's hard to say to everybody, well, we don't have money for sewers and water , but we're going to put in all that money over there," said George Voinovich, a Republican representative.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1045333,00.html

[Eloriel]

1. Price gouging by the "reconstructionists" -- also spelled

Halliburton and its subsidiaries.

Just like I suspect the pitiful and insufficient supply of our troops that we hear anecdotal evidence about is profiteering of the worst sort. There ought to be massive Congressional hearings on these two facts alone.

Eloriel

[Brucey]

2. Isn't war profiteering illegal?

Not that these guys care which or how many laws they break.

[Wwagsthedog]

3. Tell your Congress people to kill the $87 bil bill.

You have probably heard of this before.

http://www.truemajority.org/

I just sent my two cents in. Might as well try.
Yes, this is a dup from another thread but we need to stop the cabal.