Robert C. Byrd

The administration wants $20 billion over which it will have oversight.

If I were chairman, I wouldn't treat you like that--you, as the ranking member.

We're going to have a debate on this. We're not being treated fairly.

These empty chairs here represent Senators who could not be here, and those Senators are not going to have an opportunity to hear Ambassador Bremer.

I think we're being given a kind of a snow job by the administration.

Whether the Americans simply underestimated Iraqi resistance or whether the United States wanted Iraq to depend on America for security...

That doesn't sound like a very big army, does it?

Pledged. But how much have we received?

The American people have never been told this, and yet we are going to appropriate money to do it.

Well, this certainly needs some fleshing out. That's all the more reason why we ought to have more hearings.

But still, we are disadvantaging the American people when it comes to handling their money by ramming this huge bill through with only one day of hearings.

I think the American people are entitled to hear a debate and to have questions answered with regard to this reconstruction effort.

The American people have never had any debate with respect to what we have to do, as has been outlined here.

I think that if he expects to get $20 billion, he ought to make himself available.

Can you supply, for the record, the number of countries out of the 30 that provide at least 1,000 personnel, and can you supply the names of those countries?

Should oil receipts be used for that purpose?

I believe strongly in the Constitution and in the power of the purse as being vested here.

Are you keeping detailed records on the receipts and outlays of seized or discovered funds so that Congress may examine or audit the use of those funds?

What are you paying the people that are going into the army?

Do you have records that can be audited by Congress?

Could you tell this committee today what the total amount is for the receipts and outlays of seized or discovered funds?

How much money has been seized or discovered to date?

Where does the administration plan to find the additional $38 to $55 billion that is estimated to be needed for rebuilding Iraq?

I'd like to have that plan, for the first time.

It would have been better if the administration had not alienated our allies through arrogance.