Condoleezza Rice

For Immediate Release

August 21, 2008

Contact:        Mark Bergman

                202-225-5206

Congressman Hodes Urges Secretary Rice to Investigate Iraqi Reconstruction Efforts

Concord, NH--- Earlier this month, a Government Accountability Office report said that Iraq could complete the year with $79 billion in oil revenue in the bank.  Almost none of these billions has been spent on the reconstruction effort. Since 2003, the United States has spent close to $54 billion toward Iraqi reconstruction. Today, Congressman Hodes urged Secretary Rice to investigate the situation and obtain from the Iraqi government their plan to use their oil revenues toward reconstruction efforts in their country, to take the burden off American taxpayers.