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November 24, 2009

Rep. Obey Calls For War Surtax
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President Obama is facing increasing criticism from senior Congressional
Democrats over the war’s cost. David Obey, the chair of House
Appropriations Committee, has introduced a bill to impose a war surtax.
Congressman Obey discussed the proposed tax on ABC News.

Rep. David Obey: “On the merits I think it is a mistake to deepen our
involvement. But if we are going to do that then at least we ought to
pay for it because if we don’t, if we don’t pay for it, then the the
costs of the Afghan war will wipe out every other initiative that we
have to have to rebuild our economy. That’s what happened with the
Vietnam War which wiped out the Great Society. That’s what happened with
the Korea War that wiped out Harry Truman’s Square Deal. That’s what
happened to the progressive movement back before the 20s when we went
into World War I. In each case costs of those wars shut off the ability
to afford anything else.”



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