(NORTHAMPTON, Mass.) - With the Senate´s passage today of $70 billion in new war spending, the total amount spent or allocated for the Iraq War has now reached $378 billion, according to the National Priorities Project (NPP).
In its new publication, Cost of Iraq War Rises Higher, NPP provides taxpayer breakdowns of this total for all states, congressional districts and hundreds of cities across the country.
Each publication also provides the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded from each state and a summary presentation of how the Iraq War has undermined U.S. national security.
"With this latest appropriation, the total war cost is up to $378 billion," noted Anita Dancs, research director for the National Priorities Project. "All of those tax dollars have only bought us less security at home and more soldiers and civilians dead and wounded in Iraq."
Dr. Dancs also provided testimony at a congressional forum on September 26th on the opportunity costs of the Iraq War. Updating that testimony with the new war cost total, Dancs pointed out that $378 billion could pay for all of the following:
* Health care coverage for all uninsured children for the length of time the war has lasted.
* 4-year scholarships to a public university for all of this year's graduating seniors.
* Construction of half a million affordable housing units.
* The Coast Guard's estimate of what is needed for port security; and a tripling of the energy conservation budget in the U.S. Dept. of Energy
* Reduce this year's budget deficit by half.
The National Priorities Project is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that provides citizens with tools and resources to help shape federal budget priorities.
The cost to Oregon in lives so far, is 43 of the 2,709 killed.
Of the almost 20,500 U.S. soldiers that have been wounded in the conflict, 355 are from Oregon.
Oregon dollars invested in the war effort are approximately $3 billion. For Salem residents, that amount so far is $115.8 million, far less than would be required to restore Oregon schools to their former levels of operation.
Before the war began, administration officials projected that the conflict would cost only $50 billion. Now it appears that just the interest may end up costing American taxpayers twice that much.
The numbers are based on the analysis of legislation appropriating funding for the Iraq War and Congressional Research Service reports.
New War Cost Broken Down by State, City, Congressional DistrictSalem-News.com