ASIA-PACIFIC Democrats in the US Congress are pushing for a tax increase to pay for the Afghan war, amid rising expectations that President Barack Obama will dispatch tens of thousands of extra troops to the conflict.
Several senior Democrats, including David Obey, head of the House appropriations committee, and Barney Frank, chairman of the House financial services committee, have backed legislation for a war surtax, arguing that the cost of the Afghan war could total $1,000bn (€670bn, £600bn) over the next decade. That would rival the price tag for healthcare reform.
