Iraq: Reconstruction Assistance

A large-scale assistance program has been undertaken by the United States in Iraq since mid-2003. To date, nearly $42 billion has been appropriated for Iraq reconstruction. On February 5, 2007, the Administration presented an FY2007 Supplemental request for Iraq reconstruction of about $6.6 billion, a regular FY2008 request of $391.8 million, and an Emergency FY2008 request of $3.5 billion. The FY2007 Supplemental (H.R. 2206, P.L. 110-28), signed into law on May 25, 2007, provides a total of $6.3 billion in Iraq reconstruction assistance, $316 million less than the Administration request. Of this amount, about $1.6 billion appropriated to the Economic Support Fund (ESF) account is subject to a presidential certification of Iraqi progress in 18 benchmarks. On June 21, 2007, the House approved H.R. 2764, the FY2008 State/Foreign Operations regular appropriations bill, rejecting requested regular FY2008 funding for Iraq. On June 28, 2004, the entity implementing assistance programs, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), dissolved, and sovereignty was returned to Iraq. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1546 of June 8, 2004, returned control of assets held in the Development Fund for Iraq to the government of Iraq. U.S. economic assistance is now provided through the U.S. embassy while security aid is chiefly managed by the Pentagon. Many reconstruction efforts on the ground are completed or ongoing, but security concerns have slowed progress. Reconstruction programs include the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces; construction of road, sanitation, electric power, oil production, and other infrastructure; and a range of programs to offer expert advice to the Iraqi government, establish business centers, provide school books and vaccinations, finance village development projects, and promote civil society, etc. This report will be updated as events warrant. CRS Report for Congress.