Washington - In a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez demanded an explanation for how the Iraq War escalation costs could surge $2 billion in less than one week - this despite assurances from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England that $5.6 billion was a "very close" estimate of the total cost. Menendez, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Budget Committees, called on Gates to fully explain this "cost surge" and to outline the overall Defense budget request.

"Less than one week ago, a senior Defense Department official testified that the military needed only $5.6 billion to fund the president's Iraq War escalation," Menendez said. "Yet, less than one week later - the Pentagon comes back to the Congress to say they indeed need $2 billion more than they requested. Talk about a surge. If Pentagon officials can't add or subtract - how can we expect them to win a war?"

During testimony before the Senate Budget Committee last week, Deputy Secretary England told Menendez, if under oath, would he say that $5.6 billion was the total cost of the escalation of the war. England said, "Yes, I would. I would have one proviso. I would say that it's a war we're in. So I mean, you know, things are going to change on the ground. ... So there will be, constantly, some variation in this. But that's very close."

Despite this assurance, defense officials are now "revising" their request by $2 billion - a revision that begs the question of how many more "revisions" will be sent to the Congress for consideration. To that end, Menendez posed several questions to Secretary Gates:

What is the total cost of the escalation of the war in Iraq? Will the administration ask for additional funds beyond the upcoming $2 billion request?

Why wasn't the Congress told about this increase in cost during the Senate Budget hearing last week?

Why wasn't Congress told last week that the administration needed an increase to pay for the cost of these additional support troops? When did the administration know that there was a need for the additional $2 billion? Will those funds be offset? What will be cut to pay for this increased cost in the president's escalation plan?

What is the totality of the number of support troops needed for the escalation?

# # #