Congressman worries about war’s costs
Assuring that victory is certain because of overwhelming military superiority, U.S. Rep. John Murtha (D-Johnstown) predicts that the United States will shoulder a “big expense” in post-war Iraq. In a meeting with the Herald-Standard editorial board, Murtha said he’s concerned about the massive cost of funding a U.S. troop presence during the minimum six months it will take to stabilize Iraq and with the cash needed to rebuild that nation.
Unlike the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when many nations shared such costs, Murtha said the United States is going it alone this time – at a time when the domestic economy isn’t in great shape and internal needs clamor for federal dollars.
“Congress is going to resist spending a lot of money (in Iraq) when we have so many other needs in this country,” said Murtha, who added that he’s not satisfied with the Bush administration’s occupation plan because they have not adequately consulted with Congress on that matter.
Murtha said that he recently told Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield, “Don’t think that money’s going to be (as readily) available once this thing (the war) is over.” The congressman’s chief concern: that the occupation and rebuilding costs could escalate and the same time the U.S. economy remains in the doldrums or further sours.
“I would see that we’re going to struggle for a couple of years (economically),” said Murtha, who noted that if the economy “continues to falter,” big trouble looms on the horizon. For one example, he said that once the federal government starts borrowing money, interest rates would shoot up.
The balanced federal budget, which raised taxes but led to “the longest sustained growth in the history of the country” during the Clinton years, has been wiped out as a $300 million surplus turned into a $400 million deficit, said Murtha.
Murtha said he voted against all tax cuts proposed in the last three years, maintaining that the supply-side economics espoused during the Reagan years raised the federal deficit from $1 trillion to $5 trillion.
Secondly, Murtha said it doesn’t make sense to implement a tax cut during wartime, especially since most of that benefit is geared to high-end wage earners. Beyond the costs of the war, Murtha said domestic needs such as improved medical coverage, and the water and sewerage projects vital to economic growth in places like Fayette County, deserve strong consideration on the federal priority list.
Regarding Iraq, Murtha said it’s imperative to work with the United Nations and some type of coalition to manage that situation. “This is going to be a very difficult time for the United States,” said Murtha, who added that the U.S. exit strategy is one of his concerns.
While calling President George W. Bush, who presided over the 1991 Persian Gulf War, “the best foreign policy expert we’ve had since I’ve been there (in Washington, D.C.),” Murtha said his son, the current president, is less personally adept in that area and relies more on his advisors.
On the domestic economy, Murtha said that the flow of subsidized imports, fueled by trade pacts such as NAFTA, has hurt the U.S. economy, particularly in such industries as steel making, automobile manufacturing and textiles.
“You can’t buy a shirt made in the USA any more,” said Murtha. “If we didn’t have the housing industry (going strong), we’d have a hell of a problem.
Locally, Murtha said that his recent announcement of $1 million to aid development of the Fayette County Business Park represents a strategic investment of federal funds in a project that local officials deemed a high priority.
“You’re so close to Pittsburgh that there’s no doubt in my mind that you could be a very prosperous area,” said Murtha.