David Price: “the President's request of an $87 billion supplemental appropriation on top of $79 billion already appropriated has…”

“the President's request of an $87 billion supplemental appropriation on top of $79 billion already appropriated has prompted renewed debate over our military operations in Iraq, our plans for the subsequent reconstruction of that country, and our broader policy objectives in the Middle East. We must take to a successful conclusion the securing of Iraq, the rebuilding of the country's economy and infrastructure, and the transition to an indigenous democratic government. We must provide our forces in Iraq the resources they need to complete their mission and to enhance their safety and security while they are performing their mission. But the Bush administration must give a full accounting of how we plan to reach these goals, how we are going to meet the costs, and how we are to enlist the necessary international support. This request is considerably overdue. For far too long the Bush administration refused to estimate the precise costs of the war as it pushed for tax cuts upon tax cuts, mainly benefitting the wealthiest Americans, and as it presided over a 2-year, $8 trillion fiscal reversal, the largest in our country's history. But now the bill is coming due, and that stubborn fact, in addition to the critical situation on the ground in Iraq, has forced the President's hand.”