Harvard University
Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University and co-author of The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Conflict in Iraq; former Assistant Secretary of Commerce during the Clinton Administration
PROFILE
Linda J. Bilmes
Guest
FROM Linda J. Bilmes
To the Point
Who Should Pay for Iraq's Reconstruction? The high price of oil has Iraq rolling in money, but much of that new wealth stays in foreign bank accounts, while the US rebuilds the country. Americans are paying six times more than Iraqis for roads, schools and power plants, as well as the refineries and pipelines for oil production. That's according to the Government Accountability Office, an arm of the Congress. With a sagging economy, how long can the US afford that kind of money? Why isn’t it more effective? Will Iraq’s oil wealth mean future profits for private investors? We talk with an American entrepreneur who's building power plants and amusement parks.
To the Point
The Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan...for the Next Hundred Years When the Iraq invasion was launched, Pentagon officials said it would be financed in large part by Iraqi oil money. The estimated for the United States was $50 billion. Five years later, the reality is higher by orders of magnitude. A Nobel Prize winning economist pegs the cost at $3 trillion. That includes combat, debt on borrowed money and restoring the military, not to mention the staggering cost of caring for wounded veterans for the rest of their lives. We hear how the expenses got so high and what they'll mean for the economy, future generations and national security.
To the Point
The Shabby Treatment of Wounded Soldiers President Bush is appointing a commission to investigate the quality of care at Veterans' Administration hospitals. It will be chaired by former Republican Senator Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration. The shabby treatment of combat veterans at Walter Reed Hospital has been called the "tip of the iceberg" by several Congressmen. Yesterday, both military and civilian officials told a Congressional committee they were surprised at recent reports of shoddy treatment of outpatients at the Army's flagship hospital. Did military and civilian officials ignore early reports? What about other Veterans' Administration facilities? We speak with journalists, doctors and public-policy experts.
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To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?