Committee member presses director over missing war-spending totals

During a hearing of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, a committee member sharply questioned a department director about the total amount spent on the war to date, saying the committee ‘‘has no idea’’ how much has been expended and that the figures are necessary for budget planning. The committee member referenced Senator Merkley and argued the omission made it impossible to put together annual budgets.

The committee member said, "You have no idea, none, how much has been spent on the war so far. We don't have that figures right now," and added that the number fluctuates "day-in-day-out." The member told the director that knowing the totals is part of the committee's responsibility and that the absence of those figures was "outrageous."

A person identified in the exchange as the director responded, "No, I'm not going to give you a range cuz I don't want to give you an a-" and the back-and-forth ended without the committee receiving a numeric total or a formal commitment to provide one. The transcript records the director declining to offer a range; it does not record additional explanation or documentation being promised.

The committee member framed the figures as essential to budget development, saying the panel needs reliable totals "so we can put our budgets together, so we can make our annual preparations." The exchange did not include a motion or vote, and the record does not show that the committee obtained the requested spending totals during this segment.

The hearing transcript references Senator Merkley as having mentioned the issue earlier in the proceeding; the record here does not include Merkley speaking directly in this excerpt. No statutes, ordinances, or budget documents were cited in this exchange. The committee did not approve any formal action in this segment.