Bush Refuses To Estimate Future Costs of Iraq War, Violating Federal Law

[cal04]

Congress passed a law requiring the Bush administration to estimate the future costs of the war in Iraq. Here’s an excerpt:

The President shall provide to the Congress a report detailing the estimated costs over the period from fiscal year 2006 to 2011 of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, or any related military operations in and around Iraq and Afghanistan, and the estimated costs of reconstruction, internal security, and related economic support to Iraq and Afghanistan… the report referenced above shall be submitted no later than January 1, 2005.

There is an exemption if the administration certifies that estimates “cannot be provided for purposes of national security.” But the President hasn’t done that. From Bloomberg:

Instead of a presidential waiver, Joshua Bolton, director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote congressional leaders in May 2005 that the Pentagon couldn’t compile the estimates because “there are too many variables to predict accurately.'’

Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) isn’t happy:


more
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/07/21/future-costs-iraq/

[Hubert Flottz]

1. WHAT....?

You dare Question the king?

[gratuitous]

2. Bush is also supposed to be providing regular updates

And you don't see anyone in Congress all that bent out of shape about that. "So what," you can hear Bush saying. "Like you guys are suddenly start trying to enforce the law on me. Hah!"

[katinmn]

3. Congress doesn't care. They keep writing him a blank check

This is just posturing. If they weren't war mongers themselves they'd stop voting for it.

[ThomCat]

4. Can we impeach that bastard yet?

[Benhurst]

5. Does anyone really believe the laws, or even the Constitution,

matter any more?

:rofl:

[malaise]

8. Certainly not Bush

he doesn't give a fugg. He thinks he owns the planet.:rofl: :rofl:

[Monkeyman]

9. Lol remember he does not read. So how would he know what the Constitution

is. He thinks its just a piece of paper

[jimshoes]

6. How about a ball park estimate then

unless the correct answer is eveything we have in which case I can't say that I blame them for clamming up. Bastards!

[bluerum]

7. !!!!!!!!!! That's what statistical modeling is for craphead!

I am sure with the resources available to herr Bolton they can find a simple costing model in an undergraduate economics text, run it through a few iterations and get some kind of estimate. That is,,, if they had any concept of fiscal responsibility left.

[Master Mahon]

10. Federal Law?? Bush is Federal Law!!! n/t

[Supersedeas]

11. so many cronies in Iraq to bribe...so many variable: how much/when