Feingold Introduces Resolution Requiring the President to Detail the Costs and Consequences of War with IraqThe President Would Be Required to Report Back to Congress Before Initiating Military Action Against IraqMarch 13, 2003 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) today introduced a resolution on the Senate floor requiring the President to report to Congress on the potential costs and consequences of military action in Iraq before ordering the U.S. Armed Forces to war in Iraq. A version of this resolution was introduced by Representative Sharrod Brown (D-OH) in the House of Representatives on February 25, 2003. "With each passing day it becomes more and more likely that the United States will engage in a major military operation in Iraq," Feingold said. "I have no doubt in my mind that our admirable men and women in uniform will be successful during any military engagement in Iraq. I believe that the administration has not made clear to the American people, however, the magnitude of the task the country is setting for itself – not only with regard to the military engagement, but with regard to occupation and reconstruction." The resolution requires the President to report to Congress the following: • A determination that further diplomatic or other peaceful means will not adequately protect our national security • A full accounting of implications of initiating military action against Iraq for homeland security and the fight against terrorism • The steps the U.S. and its allies will take to ensure that any and all weapons of mass destruction will be safeguarded • The plan for achieving long term social, economic, and political stabilization of post-conflict Iraq • The nature and extent of the international support for military action against Iraq • The steps the U.S. will take to protect U.S. military personnel, allied forces and Iraqi civilians from known hazards • An estimate of the full costs associated with military action against Iraq • The anticipated short-term and long-term effects of military action on the U.S. economy and the federal budget |