Iraq war budget jumps for 2008 ($195 Billion)

[Roland99]

Source: LA Times

After smothering efforts by war critics in Congress to drastically cut U.S. troop levels in Iraq, President Bush plans to ask lawmakers next week to approve another massive spending measure -- totaling nearly $200 billion -- to fund the war through next year, Pentagon officials said.

If Bush's spending request is approved, 2008 will be the most expensive year of the Iraq war.

...

he Bush administration said earlier this year that it probably would need $147.5 billion for 2008, but Pentagon officials now say that and $47 billion more will be required. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and other officials are to formally present the full request at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Wednesday.

The funding request means that war costs are projected to grow even as the number of deployed combat troops begins a gradual decline starting in December. Spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is to rise from $173 billion this year to about $195 billion in fiscal 2008, which begins Oct. 1.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-warcosts22sep22,0,234891.story?coll=la-home-center

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But yet, $35 Billion over 5 years and paid for via increased taxes on cigarettes in order keep the SCHIP program going and expand it so even more uninsured children will have healthcare coverage is apparently the Dems' fault if they pass a bill he's said he'd Veto.

Remember Larry Lindsay? Fmr. Sec'y Paul O'Neill didn't have much respect for him as he was quite the loyal Bushie serving on the National Economic Council. But, even that loyal Bushie was FIRED for having said the Iraq War would cost $100 Billion - $200 Billion. And that was supposed to be the costs of the ENTIRE war.

Remember Paul "I love to lick my comb" Wolfowitz? He pegged the cost for war and reconstruction at $65-90 Billion.

Remember Mitch Daniels? He was the White House Budget Director before he became Gov. of Indiana. He said the war would be "an affordable endeavor" that "will not require sustained aid" and will "be in the range of $50 billion to $60 billion."


So, we can spend half a trillion in 4 years to feed The Beast but we can't spend $7 Billion/yr for 5 years to insure the children of America???

[bemildred]

1. Gotta pay for the Iran War, might as well get started. nt

[liberal renegade]

2. He gets anything he desires....

he'll get it all and then some.....


:puke:

[Faygo Kid]

5. Yep. Move along, folks. Nothing to see here. Dems will bend over yet again.

Why doesn't Bush double his request, and ask for $400 billion? Hell, it would be approved in a heartbeat. Maybe this time, though, instead of voting to condemn their anti-war allies, the 22 Senate Dems could vote for a positive resolution congratulating the Gathering of Eagles group for standing up for America by beating up the anti-war father of a dead soldier. That's the kind of America we apparently voted for in 2006 when we voted for these so-called "anti-war" Dems.

[fenriswolf]

3. 200 bil

can bring our roads and bridges up to date, improve our waterways so that we are not being poisened by our own pipes, provide much needed funds to the elderly and ill, help the many people who have lost homes, provide jobs, improve economic stability, etc, etc america does not have the money, the gov is taking out another mortgage on america when they already have four mortgages, a lean and are filing bankrupcy.

[Amonester]

4. How much would an IMPEACHMENT cost?

Or better yet, how much - and how many - would an IMPEACHMENT save?

[grahamhgreen]

6. a hundred billion here, a hundred billion there, pretty soon you're talking about real money!

[okoboji]

7. i would think .....

that at this point, it would be cheaper if we would just make Iraq the 51st state. Then we could begin collecting taxes. Wal-Mart would move in, and life would be oh so much better.

</sarcasm>

[natrat]

8. and our boys on the D side will trip all over eachother to approve it

[FreeStateDemocrat]

9. "there's plenty good money to be made by supplying the army with the tools of its trade"

Far too many Democratic members of Congress are corporate whores.


Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die Rag (Next Stop Vietnam)
Country Joe & the Fish

Come on all of you big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
he's got himself in a terrible jam
way down yonder in Viet Nam so
put down your books and pick up a gun we're
gonna have a whole lotta fun

(CHORUS)
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die

Come on generals, let's move fast
your big chance has come at last
now you can go out and get those reds
cos the only good commie is the one that's dead and
you know that peace can only be won when we've
blown 'em all to kingdom come

Come on wall street don't be slow
why man this war is a go-go
there's plenty good money to be made by
supplying the army with the tools of its trade
let's hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
they drop it on the Viet Cong

Come on mothers throughout the land
pack your boys off to Viet Nam
come on fathers don't hesitate
send your sons off before it's too late
and you can be the first ones on your block
to have your boy come home in a box

[sabbat hunter]

10. from what I gather

a large portion of the money is going to go to replace old and worn out equipment. Shouldn't all of that had been covered in the normal defense budget?