Congress has appropriated more than $304 billion for U.S. military operations in Iraq. Simply stated in monetary terms, we are spending $8.5 billion per month in Iraq with no end in sight. That's $2 billion per week, or $267 million per day, or $11 million per hour. George W. Bush says he will not be bringing the troops home during his tenure in office. I believe him when he says that.
How then can we end this war and occupation of Iraq?
The simple reality is that the war goes on as long as Congress continues to appropriate funds for it. Cut the funding and you force Bush to bring the troops home.
Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) has introduced HR 4232 that calls for the cut-off in funds for the war. Click on the link in the headline above to hear for yourself what Rep. McGovern has to say about his effort in Washington.
Politicians can talk all day long about how they are opposed to the war. But if they keep voting for the war funding then they are complicit in this madness. Self respecting peace activists, who spend their lives working to end war, should not then turn around and vote for elected officials who won't sign onto HR 4232.
HR 4232 would in no way prohibit nor interrupt U.S. non-defense funding in support of Iraq's social and economic reconstruction, including support for democratic institution-building, elections, and the restoration of Iraq's infrastructure.
Last night on the evening news I heard it reported that in recent weeks 20,000 more U.S. troops had been sent to Iraq. So the trend line is now in escalation, not withdrawal.
You want the war to end? Pressure your Congressional delegation to vote to cut the funds. Time to fish or cut bait.
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