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Schakowsky Statement on the Iraq Supplemental Appropriations Bill

May 15, 2008
For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2008
Contact: Peter Karafotas
(202) 226-6898

SCHAKOWSKY STATEMENT ON THE IRAQ SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a founding member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, delivered the following remarks today before the House of Representatives considered the emergency supplemental appropriations bill. The bill was divided into three amendments, which included $163 billion for the war in Iraq, conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and domestic funding to expand the GI bill and unemployment insurance. Schakowsky voted against the war funding, but voted for the conditions and the domestic funding in the bill.

"14 million dollars an hour, 24/7 over 5 years, 10 billion dollars per month, 4,000 dead Americans. Tens of thousands of wounded warriors. Untold sacrifices of military families. Innocent civilians in Iraq killed by the hundreds of thousands, and one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. That's the cost of this war.

And you know the president says that he has sacrificed too. Yes, he has sacrificed. He has given up…golf. And the president has determined to veto the bill when it gets to him because it includes really a patriot tax on people who make over a million dollars. They're going to help to pay for things like an expanded G.I. Bill for our veterans that come back, a GI Bill that will cost about 5 months in Iraq over ten years.

We are talking about people who are making over a million dollars to pay a small sacrifice for this war where our military families are paying a huge sacrifice. The question really is though, what are we doing there. What is the mission of our young men and women? Who is the enemy? Who is our ally? What does victory even look like?

I am not going to vote for another penny for this tragic war, except to bring our troops home, or to resolve the humanitarian crisis our government has helped create. I'm not voting to give more to the real winners of this war, the Haliburtons, the Blackwaters, and I'm disappointed that my amendment to stop funding Blackwater, a company that raises the question is it the policy of the United States to let companies like that get away with murder. We should cut that contract and bring our troops home....