Sheldon Whitehouse: “As my colleagues know, earlier this week President Bush announced he will ask this Congress to provide an additional $46…”

“As my colleagues know, earlier this week President Bush announced he will ask this Congress to provide an additional $46 billion for the war in Iraq next year. That is $46 billion more than the $150 billion he already told us he would ask for. Taken together, that is close to $200 billion more than the hundreds of billions of dollars the taxpayers of this country have already poured into the sands and marshes of Iraq--for a war this President has made clear he has no intention of ending. The people of Rhode Island are tired of watching their sons and daughters, their neighbors and their friends, sent off to war by a President who won't trouble himself to make a plan to bring them home. They are tired of spending money our country has to borrow on a war with burdens our country should no longer have to bear. And they are sick and tired of hearing this President veto or threaten to veto legislation passed by this Congress that supports the real and urgent needs of Americans and their families--all because he says it costs too much. Clearly, this President is an expert when it comes to irresponsible and excessive spending. Look at the war. Look at the private contractors. Look at the national debt he has run up. But how can he keep a straight face and tell the American people it is more important to borrow and spend $35 billion for 3½ more months of the Iraq war than it is to provide budgeted health insurance for 5 years to 10 million American children?”