Representing North Carolina’s Ninth District                                                                        

Myrick’s Statement on Iraq Supplemental Bill

Representative Myrick fully supports the $65.2 billion in the bill which is earmarked for the troops fighting terrorists in Iraq. These funds are needed to support the troops so that they can stabilize the region, and come home as soon as possible.

Myrick is, however, against sending $21.6 billion dollars in the form of a grant to help reconstruct Iraq when it contains the second largest oil reserves in the world. These oil fields will, by current estimates, give Iraq a $5 billion dollar surplus by the end of 2004. Representative Myrick prefers to offer a loan to Iraq so that they can use their oil to pay America back.

Mr. Speaker: First and foremost, I want to say that I fully support our troops. I am so proud of the job they are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are sacrificing greatly overseas so we don’t have to fight the war on terror here on our shores. $65.2 billion of this supplemental request is essential to help provide every resource our men and women need to bring this conflict to a successful conclusion.

That being said, I work for the people of the 9th District of North Carolina and they cannot understand why the remaining $21.6 billion of the Iraq Supplemental may not be given in the form of a loan. Iraq contains the second largest oil reserve in the world and will have an astounding $5 billion surplus at the end of this year – all this, while we have record deficits in our own country. For decades to come, America’s children will be paying for this reconstruction grant on behalf of the Iraqi children. That is unconscionable! Again, that country has the great wealth of oil. They can pay us back.

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