1 May

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel has agreed to block U.S. funding for Iraq reconstruction projects worth more than $2 million and to try to force Baghdad to cover the costs of training and equipping the country’s security forces.
The provision, included in a 2009 defense policy bill approved this week by the Senate Armed Services Committee, comes as Democrats draft a similar provision within separate legislation that would cover this year’s war spending.
The efforts are part of the latest push on Capitol Hill to get Iraq to spend more of its own money and spare U.S. taxpayers. Democrats and many Republicans say it is unfair that Iraq is looking at pulling in as much as $70 billion in oil revenues this year while Americans grapple with soaring fuel prices at the pump.
Way to go! It is financially irresponsible and inconceivable to be spending millions of American tax dollars on Iraqi infrastructure while our own country is $9 trillion in the hole and has plenty of its own needs. They have $70 billion in oil revenue. That’s not enough for them to start paying for themselves?
6 Responses for "Collins Introduces Provision to Stop Iraq Reconstruction Funding"
Nice.
Yeah, if only those stinking Germans had paid for their own reconstruction in 1945. I bet the Cold War would have turned out so much better.
The cold war could have been solved using Gen. Patton’s solution: Fight the russians while we had the army right in front of them.
One of America’s biggest mistake in the last 50 years was failing to rebuild the infrastructure in Afghanistan after America helped the Afghanis kick the soviets out. The vacuum was filled by radical Jihadists who allowed Osama to stage major attacks on America, including September 11.
Maybe Collins (RINO-ME) thinks we should play games with “training and equipping [Iraq’s] security forces” after all the progress we have made with the surge, but I personally don’t want history to repeat itself.
Oh, and, “has plenty of its own needs” seems straight out of Socialist Party of America talking points.
So you don’t think $70 billion is enough money for the country to spend $2 million to stand on it’s own two feet? Where is the threshold then? I would like a specific dollar amount if you don’t mind. I would also like an explanation as to how you think we are to pay off the $9 trillion debt that is sinking our currency, creating rampant inflation, and causing nervousness among our world business partners about the viability of the American dollar.
And if not wanting the money I work for to be sent to foreign nations makes me a Socialist then I can only conclude that puts you out there on the extreme fringe of the Republican party with the same type of people you berrated in the Ron Paul thread.
I’ll try to answer your questions in order:
1) I have no idea - BUT I am almost 100% sure that neither Sec. Gates, General Petraus, nor any of their fine subordinates have any desire in making American Taxpayers pay for something that they think Iraqis can pay for themselves. Collins should not be setting artificial criteria and playing games instead of allowing these men to do what they think is best to secure Iraq.
2) There is NO threshold - America’s security is paramount above all other issues … securing Iraq is key to ensuring America’s well-being … and I imagine “training and equipping [Iraq’s] security forces” is key to securing Iraq.
3) If America fails to ensure its security, then nothing else matters (including our debt). As you probably know yourself, the best way for America “to pay off the $9 trillion debt” is to cut taxes (too spurn the Economy) and cut spending - Not to withold $2 million from Iraqis. If this was actually Collins’s concern, then she shouldn’t be one of the biggest Republcian Porkers or have opposed the Bush tax cuts.
4) I did not say that it makes you socialist, I said complaining about “needs” in that way sounds like a Socialist talking point.
5) And I am not sure what your point is about Ron Paul supporters- I am sure nearly all of them hate everyone else and would oppose sending any money to foreign nations. Fortunatley, no one cares what they think, and America rightly funds many worthy initiatives that are in America’s best interest (and yes sometimes because it is the Morally! right thing to do) -and the majority of legislatures in both parties support this.
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