Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008

SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 16, 2008)

SPEECH OF
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
OF MINNESOTA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2008

* Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, today Congress will once again fund President Bush's Iraq War. With this $162 billion in funding for the Pentagon there will have been more than $750 billion committed to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan--all of it paid for with debt. In Iraq, the American people have witnessed tremendous valor from our armed forces, including the sacrifice of more than 4,000 Americans who have lost their lives and another 15,000 who were seriously wounded. Unfortunately, presidential leadership has not risen to this same high level of commitment for our soldiers. The Bush administration and their supporters in Congress are responsible for the greatest foreign policy disaster in American history and today their failed policies will be financed with debt for another year.

* Today, I will oppose continuing to fund the Iraq War as I have in the past. This war is not making America safer, but it is weakening our military capacity, exhausting our troops and undermining our Nation's economic security. It is time to invest in America and the needs of the American people. I am appalled by the stories about defense contractors engaging in war profiteering, corrupt Iraqi officials fueling the sectarian divide, and reconstruction projects financed by the American people left unfinished or unused because of poor planning.

* Now in the sixth year of the Iraq War, America is seeing the conflict in Afghanistan, the heart of the war on terror, grow more intense as the Taliban resurges. My support for the on-going U.S. effort in Afghanistan remains strong. I was in Afghanistan and Pakistan in March and the threats posed by the Taliban and al-Qaeda in those countries are real. It is tragic that the Bush administration's deception and failed policy in Iraq has taken the focus off of al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

* Mr. Speaker, despite the failings and costly mistakes made by the Bush administration, the Democratic leadership in Congress is giving this Nation hope that the Iraq War will come to an end and that Washington will once again invest in the needs of the American people. Yet, the Bush administration rejects any spending on domestic priorities that will benefit the American people.

* Look around our country. Healthcare is in crisis. America's infrastructure is deteriorating and collapsing--as we've seen with the 1-35W bridge in Minneapolis. With oil prices reaching $125 per barrel there is still no significant federal investment in a massive expansion of renewable energy research, development and implementation. The list is long and it is the result of absolute neglect to invest in America by the Bush Administration and a Republican Congress that together led this nation from 2001 through 2006.

* Democrats have new priorities for America and some of those priorities are clearly reflected in H.R. 2642. This bill provides a significant investment in those men and women who have served our country and deserve our gratitude and our support. H.R. 2642 restores GI education benefits to the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to help ensure their future success and our economic recovery. The cost of providing four-year college scholarships for our veterans for an entire year is less than we spend in one day in Iraq, and helps to change our mission from squandering tax dollars in Iraq towards investing in America.

* The Majority has also responded to the economic crisis facing too many families by including extended unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted the 26 weeks of regular benefits. The U.S. economy has lost 260,000 jobs in the last four months, and 1.35 million workers have been unemployed longer than 26 weeks. This extension will provide relief for the over 4 million Americans, including nearly 70,000 Minnesotans, who are struggling to find a job, and help to stimulate the economy in a cost-effective, fast-acting way. To ensure that states and hospitals can continue to provide health care services for our most vulnerable, this bill includes a rejection of the Bush Administration's proposed regulations to slash federal funding from Medicaid.

* H.R. 2642 gives relief to a growing global crisis by providing $1.6 billion in emergency international food aid. Food assistance is desperately needed by the millions of families facing hunger and starvation this year due to rising food prices, natural disasters, economic downturns, and conflict situations. This is a moral and humanitarian response to end suffering around the world and is also a positive step the United States can take to restore our reputation in the international community.

* Democrats will also try once again to change the policy and mission in Iraq. An amendment I support will require redeployment out of Iraq by December 2009, require that Iraqi's contribute to the cost of their reconstruction, require that our military does not pay more for fuel than the Iraqis, requires additional training and rest for our soldiers and would finally and explicitly prohibit torture. Unfortunately, the Administration continues to oppose these common-sense, responsible policies to keep our troops safe, reduce the burden on the American taxpayer, and repair our standing in the world.

* America needs a new direction--in Iraq and at home. Democrats are fighting to end the war responsibly, to reduce the debt burden on our children and grandchildren, and to reinvest in our future.

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