Democrats seek review of war spending

House Democrats are calling on Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, to hold a hearing examining how much money has been obligated for forces in Iraq under the fiscal 2004 supplemental enacted last fall.

In a letter to Nussle, Budget members Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., wrote that they wanted to ensure the Pentagon does not "imperil our troops by running out of money for their critical equipment and training." Emanuel said he was angry about comments made at a House Armed Services Committee hearing this week by Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz indicating the Pentagon had not thoroughly accounted for fiscal 2004 supplemental funds already spent.

The fiscal 2004 law required quarterly reports on reconstruction expenditures, but not for military operations.

The most recent report showed that out of the $18.4 billion for reconstruction, through the second quarter of fiscal 2004 about $8.19 billion had been apportioned with an additional $2.24 billion obligated. The $87.5 billion measure appropriated about $65 billion for military operations and $18.4 billion for reconstruction, and some lawmakers say additional funds may be needed for the troops before the end of the fiscal year.

The Pentagon has estimated a potential fiscal 2004 shortfall of $4 billion and is examining whether the funds can be found in existing accounts. The administration has said it would probably wait until next year to request a supplemental of up to $50 billion.

Nussle's spokesman said the chairman will make sure the funds are accounted for, but is focused on the fiscal 2005 budget resolution negotiations.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said Friday he will seek a minimum of $20 billion in additional fiscal 2005 appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan, on top of the $402 billion already requested for fiscal 2005, to serve as a bridge until a fiscal 2005 supplemental is enacted. Hunter said the Appropriations panel will decide the amount, but that $20 billion should be the floor.

Congressional aides said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., are considering the request. Young and Lewis said this week it was too soon to comment.

Emanuel said the administration should budget for a lengthy occupation in Iraq. "It's one thing to say, 'I'm not cutting and running,'" he said. "Okay, how much does it cost not to cut and run? We're not going to play a game here. We're not chumps or fools."

A Pentagon spokeswoman responded that the department has provided detailed information through January, but it would take "about three months" to receive adequate information about expenditures up to the present. She reiterated testimony at the Armed Services Committee hearing that current operations are costing about $4.7 billion per month, and provided a breakdown that shows $18.9 billion of the $65 billion in fiscal 2004 funds had been spent through January, on top of about $44 billion provided under the fiscal 2003 supplemental.