mr. speaker , it has been 2 years since president bush stood aboard the uss lincoln aircraft carrier and declared , `` mission accomplished '' in iraq .  and in those two years it has become increasingly clear that the war in iraq is far from over , and that the american people are paying the price .  let 's just take a look at the facts : there are currently 150 , 000 american troops now serving in iraq , including 8 , 000 reserve and national guard troops .  tragically , 1 , 582 american service members have been killed in the iraq war .  at least 12 , 243 u.s. troops have been wounded in action , many with grievous injuries that will require a lifetime of medical assistance and other types of support .  more than one in five iraqi war veterans have some type of mental disorder caused by their wartime service .  in addition to the cost of life and quality of life for the brave american men and women who are fighting in iraq , the dollar cost of the war is also taking its toll on the american people .  to date , $ 217 billion in american taxpayer dollars have gone to fund the war in iraq .  we were told our allies would share the cost of the war ; we were told iraqi oil would pay for the cost of the war .  now it is clear , there was no plan : the american taxpayer is paying for the cost of this war to the tune of $ 5 billion a month .  in fact , today 's $ 82 billion supplemental is the fifth such supplemental congress has passed at the request of the bush administration to fund the war on terror .  that 's billions of dollars not spent on pressing problems right here at home .  problems , such as : the price of gas at the pump .  gas prices remain at record levels at $ 2.24 per gallon nationwide , with some states topping $ 2.60 .  that means gas prices have risen 33 cents in just the last two months and are 42 cents a gallon higher than a year ago .  the energy department predicts that gas prices will climb to a record $ 2.35 by memorial day -- averaging $ 2.28 this summer .  the high cost of health insurance .  health care costs for families have skyrocketed almost 50 percent over the past five years .  a lagging economy .  the economy grew at just 3.1 percent in the first quarter -- the slowest pace in 2 years and down from a 3.8-percent pace logged in the final quarter of 2004 .  declining wages and benefits .  workers ' salaries and benefits have suffered the largest 3-year decline since 1948 ( as a portion of our economy ) even as corporate profits continue to rise .  fewer jobs .  446 , 000 private-sector jobs and 2.8 million manufacturing jobs have been lost .  record budget deficits .  this year 's deficit is on track to reach a record $ 427 billion .  veteran 's benefits .  over the next 5 years , the budget for veterans programs , primarily health care , is $ 14.2 billion below the amount needed to maintain services at current levels .  and , record trade deficits .  the u.s. trade deficit surged to an all-time high of $ 61.04 billion in february .  two years after president bush declared mission accomplished in iraq , there is still no end in sight .  instead of just signing another multi-billion dollar check to the administration , is n't it time to develop a real plan to stabilize iraq so we can bring american troops home and concentrate on our problems here at home ?  