President Bush wants Congress to approve by Christmas an additional $46 billion to fund the “basic needs” of the troops fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but he will likely have to wait until 2008 for the money.
Bush sent the supplemental funding request to Congress on Monday, acknowledging that the Democrat-led Congress has already threatened not to approve the money until next year.
“Our men and women on the front lines should not be caught in the middle of partisan disagreements in Washington, D.C.,” Bush said when he announced the spending request. “I often hear that war critics oppose my decisions, but still support the troops. Well, I’ll take them at their word — and this is the chance to show it, that they support the troops.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wis., said earlier this month they do not plan to consider the spending request until 2008. Instead, Congress will either add additional war money to other spending bills, or allow the Pentagon to borrow funds for the war from its 2008 budget. Reid said “we are not going tobe in a rush” to approve more money for Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the addition of Monday’s request, Bush has asked for $196 billion in war spending this year.
Democrats are under tremendous pressure from their base of supporters to find a way to end the war, something they have yet to achieve despite promises made during the 2006 campaign. House Democrats have said an additional war-funding request could provide them with an opportunity to force Bush to agree to a firm withdrawal date or a timetable for pulling out the troops.
On Monday, Democrats used the request to highlight their criticism of Bush’s veto of a $60 billion bill to fund a federal children’s health care program.
“We’ve been fighting for America’s priorities while the president continues investing only in his failed strategy in Iraq,” Reid said. “And he wants us to just come up with another $200 billion and just sign off on it?”
Senate Republican leaders Monday called on Democrats to take up the measure now.
“We cannot turn our backs on our warriors now by cutting off funds when there is still work to be done and still troops to protect,” Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said.
