Congress tries to opt out of war

Members of Congress who are tired of waiting for the United States’ involvement with the war in Iraq to come to an end are introducing a piece of legislation that would cut off the government’s funding for it.
The bill “The Opt Out of Iraq War Act of 2007” would funnel American taxpayer dollars towards withdrawing U.S. personnel and infrastructure from the war. It would also allow for humanitarian and non-military assistance to the people of Iraq.
“The [Bush] Administration has shown us that it doesn’t matter what Congress does, how many people come out in opposition, or how many lives this war costs, they will not listen to our calls to bring the troops home,” said Congressmember Nydia Velzquez. “That is why I am introducing this legislation, which will give people the power to demonstrate their opposition with one thing that will force the administration to stop and listen - the tax dollars that are funding this war.”
Velzquez said that the tax dollars can be used instead to reduce the national debt, which she estimates to be $8.8 trillion, while also going towards programs such as Head Start. Another suggestion is that the monies be used to establish the “Children of Iraq War Veterans College Fund” to assist the children of soldiers wounded or killed during the war.
During the more than four years that the United States has been involved with the war, about 4,000 Americans have been killed. This has included 150 New Yorkers. About $457 billion has been spent on the war.
“Our brave servicemen and women have sacrificed too much already for a war that was ill-conceived and poorly managed,” Velzquez said. “The best way to support them is to bring them home and if the American people make the choice to stop the funding, we can end this now.”