[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4] [House] [Page 5515] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]IRAQ WAR AND OUR ECONOMY (Ms. LEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, American families continue to struggle in the face of this recession and yet in 1 day the Bush administration spends $339 million on the war in Iraq. As General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker appear before Congress this week to defend this occupation, congressional Democrats have many questions about the costs of this occupation. This country has spent more than $500 billion in Iraq. It could go up to 3 to $4 trillion. Yet 47 million Americans have no health insurance. Last month, then GAO Comptroller David Walker stated the Iraqis have a budget surplus. We have a huge budget deficit. One of the questions is who should be paying? That's a really good question, considering that we are currently pumping billions of dollars into this war, which is stimulating economies in Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia while the American economy is in recession. What about investing money here instead of in education, health care and infrastructure to create jobs? This occupation has placed a massive human and financial cost on the United States, and yet President Bush demands more of the same. We must end this occupation and bring our troops home. ____________________