Mike Levin: “We have heard now with some regularity from the administration that they have no idea, no estimate as to what the cost…”

“We have heard now with some regularity from the administration that they have no idea, no estimate as to what the cost of the war with Iraq will be, nor what the aftermath would cost; in other words, assuming there is a war, assuming that we occupy Iraq with or without others. According to General Shinseki, that could actually involve up to 100,000 troops there for some unlimited period of time. But even if they disagree with that, which apparently some members of the Pentagon do, we have not been able to obtain--and they claim there is none--an estimate of the cost of the aftermath of a war with Iraq at the same time that they are asking us to put in place an additional tax cut. Does it not strike my good friend from Nevada as being irresponsible to put into place tax cuts with huge costs to the Treasury when we are likely on the verge of a war which has no particular estimated cost, and then the aftermath of that war, which could last years, in turn also has no estimated cost?”