mr. chairman , i rise to oppose the iraqi supplemental appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006 . 
to call this legislation a travesty is to put it nicely . 
it is nothing but $ 81 billion of chaos blanketed in lofty-sounding phrases like `` tsunami relief '' and `` supporting our troops. '' actually , this bill represents a mockery of the democratic process . 
calling this bill an `` emergency supplemental '' implies that the bush administration and congress were somehow not aware of these costs . 
that is ridiculous . 
the only unforeseen cost contained in this $ 81 billion dollar boondoggle is the $ 656 million for tsunami relief . 
both congress and the administration have known for months that $ 75 billion in the bill for the wars in iraq and afghanistan would be needed , but we did n't put it in the budget . 
the real story is that the bush administration is attempting to hide from the american people the real costs of a mismanaged war . 
the administration once claimed the war in iraq would cost $ 1.7 billion . 
this supplemental alone is almost 50 times that amount . 
is the administration out to lunch ? 
tomorrow , the house is going to consider a budget resolution that , like the previous year , fails to include adequate funding for the war in iraq . 
i 'm not a soothsayer , mr. speaker , but dare i warn , `` beware of the ides of march. '' if tomorrow 's republican budget is passed , we 're going to be here next march writing the bush administration another check to cover the costs of its campaign of nation building . 
the bush administration is hiding behind the rhetoric of supporting our troops to escape accountability for the war in iraq , and the american people should be outraged . 
we should be embarrassed that members in this body are so willing to write blank checks to a president who has yet to justify how the $ 175 billion in already appropriated money in iraq and afghanistan has been spent . 
mr. chairman , i am even more appalled by the manner in which funding for clandestine operations is being carried out in this bill . 
this bill allocates a massive amount of money for covert operations , yet the department of defense did not see fit to go through either of the two house authorizing committees of jurisdiction . 
congress is creating a private bank account for secretary rumsfield without any oversight or permission from the united states congress . 
is this what the american people want -- government by fiat ? 
mr. chairman , our government has a process , and this process is vital to preserving the nature of our democracy . 
i should n't have to explain that . 
all of the bush administration 's rhetoric about global freedom apparently does not extend to the united states capitol building . 
what is more important for the bush administration is that they get their money at all and any costs . 
i guess that means they will sell this bill on the altruistic notions of patriotism and humanitarianism in a snide attempt to drum up support . 
why is this bill being dubbed a tsunami relief effort when the entire supplemental is over 120 times the amount allocated for the tsunami ? 
what about the six hundred million dollars to build the world 's biggest embassy in baghdad ? 
what are they building this thing out of -- pure lead ? 
that same amount of money could go towards vital security upgrades at other embassies and consulates around the world . 
why do n't we just make things easier on everyone by throwing this bill out the window and opening up everyone 's bank accounts to the united states executive branch ? 
now that 's privatization . 
this is n't a question of patriotism , nor is it a question of our commitment to helping tsunami victims recover . 
this is an issue with short and long-term constitutional and budgetary ramifications . 
i realize that the bush administration feels it would be easier to simply govern without any input or oversight , but the first three articles of the constitution suggest otherwise . 
i can not in good conscience support legislation that , for all we know , might pour billions in the pockets of halliburton while depriving our troops of necessary resources . 
and i ca n't imagine why the united states congress , led by the appropriations committee , is handing a leash to the white house and waiting to be taken out for a walk . 
mr. chairman , i am outraged by this crass attempt to shirk congressional responsibility , and i urge my colleagues to vote against this legislation . 
