In other Iraq news, Bush asked Congress for an additional $25 billion to meet the rising costs of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amount is believed to be just a portion of what will be needed to continue operations for the rest of the year. Bush said in a statement, “Recent developments on the ground and increased demands on our troops indicate the need to plan for contingencies.” Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said legislators should consider not funding the request. He said “The track record of the Bush White House in accounting for funds for Iraq is a record of confusion, obfuscation, bumbling, denial, and deception.”