Robert C. Byrd: “The proposal provides for a blanket $25 billion transfer authority with no requirements for detailed justification, no…”

Why should Congress not have some limitations on this? It is the taxpayers' money.

I cannot support this item unless there are some limitations on it, unless Congress can exercise its power over the purse, as the Constitution provides.

In closing, may I say that the President's request includes $658 million for construction of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

Doesn't this send a signal to the Iraqi people and to the American people that the United States intends to have a large permanent presence there?