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For the first time, a bipartisan effort to modify our Iraq policy has succeed as the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a provision that transfers financial responsibility for reconstruction and some operations costs from the U.S. taxpayer to the Iraqi Government.
Under the provision authored by Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson, use of United States taxpayers' funds for major reconstruction projects in Iraq will be banned and Iraq will be required to cover all or part of the costs of small scale reconstruction projects, joint missions with coalition forces and training and equipment for their own troops.
The provision was offered and accepted unanimously as an amendment to the FY2009 National Defense Authorization Act by Senators Ben Nelson (NE), Susan Collins (ME), and Evan Bayh (IN), all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The Amendment bans United States funding for major infrastructure projects in Iraq, and requires Iraq to obligate Iraqi funds for reconstruction projects before any future U.S. aid for reconstruction is obligated. The amendment also requires the President to craft a cost sharing agreement with the Iraqi Government for Coalition-Iraqi combined operations in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The provision also requires the Iraqis to pay the costs of the salaries, training, equipping, and sustaining of Iraqi Security Forces along with the costs associated with the Sons of Iraq.
"This is a big step toward ending the era of the blank check for Iraq," said Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson. "This bipartisan provision will institute Iraqi responsibility for their own future by requiring them to cover costs of reconstruction, the Iraqi Security Forces and Sons of Iraq, along with a greater share of the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This amendment will ease the strain on the U.S. budget and American taxpayers. I am pleased that our amendment received unanimous bipartisan support from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee."
The Senate Armed Services Committee completed and approved the FY2009 National Defense Authorization Act Wednesday evening. The bill is expected to be considered by the Senate before the end of May.
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