Cord Byrd: “with this supplemental appropriations bill, Congress will have appropriated $300 billion for military operations and…”

“with this supplemental appropriations bill, Congress will have appropriated $300 billion for military operations and reconstruction activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. That is an enormous sum of money. We say it is for the troops in the field, for armor, weapons, equipment, and other mechanisms necessary to wage a war. But a significant portion does not make it to the troops. Much of it goes to defense contractors, corporate giants such as Halliburton that profit from the military operations and defense expenditures of the U.S. Government. Halliburton reportedly has been awarded $11 billion in Iraq contracts. The war in Iraq may symbolize a time of sacrifice for American families, but for some--not all but for some--defense contractors, the cold, hard truth is that Iraq has become an opportunity to reap an enormous profit from American's decision to send America's sons and daughters into war. It is incumbent upon the Congress to be diligent in how these moneys are allocated to defense contractors. It is incumbent upon the Congress to be thorough in its oversight and to be meticulous in its accounting. The administration has submitted five emergency supplemental spending bills for Iraq and Afghanistan. The size of these supplemental requests is massive, exceeding $80 billion this year, $25 million last year, and $160 billion the year before that.…”