Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

“The members of the Blue Dog Coalition are some of the most pro-defense, pro-military members of Congress from either party, but Congress shouldn’t give up its oversight power of the purse and write the Department of Defense a blank check,” said Cardoza, who serves as co-chair of the Blue Dogs, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats who are known as fiscal hawks. “The administration needs to be held accountable for where the money is going.”

With the president’s request yesterday for an additional $82 billion in supplemental funding for Iraq, Afghanistan and other expenses, the Blue Dog Coalition recognizes that taxpayers deserve an accountability of where their money is going and if it is being spent appropriately.  The War Funding Accountability Act would ensure that troops are receiving the supplies and equipment they need, call on the administration to seek additional international support, and require the administration to report to Congress on the progress being made in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

“We need to support our troops and ensure that they have the resources needed to do their job,” Thompson said. “This bill will make certain that Congress acknowledges its oversight responsibility and accounts for the $82 billion supplemental appropriation that the president has requested for Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Congressional Research Service estimates that the Department of Defense has received over $201 billion for combat operations, occupation and support for military personnel deployed, or supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The Congressional Budget Office estimates that military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost $458 billion over the next nine years, in addition to the amount already spent. 

The administration has not given Congress a full audit of funding spent in Iraq and Afghanistan despite widespread reports of wasteful spending.  For example, one contractor over-charged the Pentagon by $61 million to import gasoline into Iraq from Kuwait.