The Washington Post reported today that President Bush is preparing a request to Congress for $50 billion more to fund his failed policies in Iraq — policies that have cost the American people dearly both in lives and taxpayer dollars. The American people are demanding a New Direction on the Iraq war not another quarterly invoice. It is time to wind down this war and begin to bring our troops home safely and soon.

PRICE PAID BY U.S. TROOPS IN IRAQ

· June, July, and August 2007 have marked the bloodiest summer so far for U.S. troops in Iraq. [icasualties.org]

· U.S. casualties in Iraq are 65 percent higher this year than at this time in 2006. [icasualties.org]

· As of August 29th, 3,731 U.S. troops have been killed and more than 27,660 have been wounded in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003. [Department of Defense, 8/29/07]

COST TO U.S. TAXPAYERS

· Congress has already appropriated nearly $477 billion for the war in Iraq since March 2003.

· According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the U.S. is spending an estimated $10 billion per month in Iraq. [CRS, 6/28/07]

COST OF THE WAR BROKEN DOWN

o Month: $10,000,000,000

o Week: $2,307,692,380

o Day: $329,670,330

o Hour: $13,736,264

o Minute: $228,938

o Second: $3,816

· The Pentagon cannot account for more than 190,000 weapons — paid for by U.S. taxpayers — given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005. [Washington Post, 8/6/07]

· At least $10 billion in taxpayer dollars has been squandered by the government in Iraq reconstruction contracts according to U.S. auditors. [MSNBC, 2/15/07]

WHAT ELSE WE COULD DO WITH SOME OF THE MONEY SPENT ON IRAQ WAR SO FAR

· Repair the 70,000+ bridges across the country rated structurally deficient:
$188 billion

· Rebuild the levees in New Orleans to withstand a Category 5 hurricane:
$50 billion

· Cover all eligible but unenrolled kids in SCHIP for 5 years:
$47.5 billion

· Equip U.S. public safety officials with interoperable communication equipment
$18 billion

· Enroll 1.4 million more children in Head Start programs:
$10 billion

· Double the annual budget for the National Cancer Institute:
$9.5 billion

· Hire one new librarian for each public school in America:
$4.6 billion

· Screen all air cargo on passenger plans for 10 years:
$3.6 billion

· Hire 51,000 more police officers to help make America's streets safer:
$2.3 billion