Obama Calls The War in Iraq a Burden for American Working Families

Speaking at University of Charleston, Obama directly addressed the crunch that West Virginia families are feeling as health care and energy costs continue to soar.

Barack Obama speaking in West Virginia Courtesy: Obama Campaign

(CHARLESTON, West Virginia) - In Charleston, West Virginia today, Senator Barack Obama outlined what he calls the far-reaching costs of the war and emphasized that as President, he’ll bring our troops out of Iraq and bring real relief to American families.

With the price tag for Iraq now estimated to reach into the trillions of dollars by the time the war concludes, Senator Obama discussed several critical areas where we could address American’s pressing needs if we end the war.

That he says, includes providing health care for every American, providing a quality education for every child, making college affordable for everyone, and rebuilding our aging roads and bridges.

Obama also underscored the need for fiscal responsibility in Washington, holding up as an example John McCain’s recent vote to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy in a time of war.

Speaking at University of Charleston, Obama directly addressed the crunch that West Virginia families are feeling as health care and energy costs continue to soar. Health insurance premiums in West Virginia have increased 40 percent over the past 6 years, and gas prices in West Virginia have increased 102 percent since March 2001.

"Instead of fighting this war, we could be fighting for the people of West Virginia," Senator Obama said today. "For what folks in this state have been spending on the Iraq war, we could be giving health care to nearly 450,000 of your neighbors, hiring nearly 30,000 new elementary school teachers, and making college more affordable for over 300,000 students. We could be fighting to put the American dream within reach for every American – by giving tax breaks to working families, offering relief to struggling homeowners, reversing President Bush’s cuts to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and protecting Social Security today, tomorrow, and forever. That’s what we could be doing instead of fighting this war.”"

As President, Barack Obama says he will end the war in Iraq and redirect our resources toward pressing domestic and national security priorities. Ending the war in Iraq will help pay for Obama’s priorities for the country, he says, which include keeping the sacred trust with our veterans, rebuilding our military capability by increasing numbers of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insisting on adequate training and time off between deployments.

Other areas he says his plans would address include covering all Americans and reducing health care costs by $2,500 for a typical family, putting college within reach by providing a $4,000 refundable tax credit available at the time of enrollment, expanding and enhancing existing federal transportation investments that will provide at least two million new U.S. jobs, and providing a middle class tax cut of up to $1,000 for working families.

Obama also says the plan would strenghten retirement security and protect Social Security; and allow more to be invested in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change.

Source: Obama Campaign