Deborah Koff Ross: “It's my understanding the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom is $378.5 billion. That is to date. Now, you have to…”

“It's my understanding the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom is $378.5 billion. That is to date. Now, you have to understand what that means is, at this time we are spending about $2 billion a week, about $9.5 billion to $10 billion a month, or, again, put it another way, if you do the math, that is about $12 million an hour. The Congress has appropriated $29.9 billion in aid to the Iraqi people. Of this amount, only $16.9 billion of that has been disbursed to the Iraqis, and yet the President is now asking for more. On February 5, 2007, the Defense Department submitted a $94.4 billion fiscal 2007 supplemental request. If enacted, the DOD's total emergency funding for fiscal year 2007, and, again, for 2006, was $104 billion, this is to date, today, this is $60 billion. But if they get what they asked for, then the spending for $2007 will be $163.4 billion. I will repeat that. In 2006 it was $104 billion. In 2007 it will be $163.4 billion; or, put it another way, 40 percent more from the previous year and 50 percent more than the Office of Management and Budget estimated last summer.”