Posted on 11/16/2007 7:58:00 AM PST by rightinthemiddle
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Friday blocked a Republican proposal to pay $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan without strings attached.
The 53-45 vote was 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance.
The measure was aimed at countering Democratic legislation that also would bankroll the operations, but would additionally require that troops start coming home in 30 days.
The Democratic bill, passed by the House on Wednesday, set a goal of ending combat by December 2008.
"We need to get the funds to the troops and we need to do it now," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.
"Anything else is political posturing," said Reid.
Democrats also were expected to fall short of the 60 votes needed to advance their bill.
Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said this week that if Congress cannot pass legislation that ties war money to troop withdrawals, they would not send Bush a bill this year.
Instead, they would revisit the issue upon returning in January, pushing the Pentagon to the brink of an accounting nightmare and deepening Democrats' conflict with the White House on the war.
In the meantime, Democrats say, the Pentagon can eat into its $471 billion annual budget without being forced to take drastic steps.
"The days of a free lunch are over," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that unless Congress passes funding for the war within days, he will direct the Army and Marine Corps to begin developing plans to lay off employees and terminate contracts early next year.
(Excerpt) Read more at ap.google.com ...
They must have. I’m sure Lieberman voted with us. I’d like to know who the Republicans are who voted against it, and what their excuse is.
Bring them all home...
THE POLITIANS IN WASHINGTON THAT IS!
What a bunch of screwballs
politicians.. sorry when i get angry I tend to have typos lol.
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The country is at war and this is what the al qaeda operative in the Senate from New York said about our military ??? WTF
And there was much cheering by the enemy.
If the Democrats can manufacture a defeat in this war they are dead meat. That’s what’s driving this.
Excellent guesses.
If Republicasn were smart they would make a BIG deal of this.
‘Special Report’ Panel on Majority Leader Reid’s Latest Tactics
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311939,00.html
Looks like 4 or 5 Republicans are invested in defeat as well.
If Defense Sec. Gates has any moxie, he will start cutting civilian jobs at bases in the districts of those Democrats voting against money for our troops during war time.
Pelosi and Reid say he should find the money in the regular defense budget, and that is exactly where he should find it. After a few hundred thousand are laid off in their states, I think the Dems would be dancing to a different tune than the one MoveOn.org is whistling.
Thus clearing the way for the House’s AlQaeda Rescue Act of 2007 for consideration.
They’ve really painted themselves into a corner. They either piss off their raving moonbat nutjob base or the average voter. They have no way out.
Perhaps this is the Democrat version? But, the article says the Republican version failed by the same vote.
Any C-Span Junkies out there?
This is the most critical battle for campaign 2008. All of next year turns on funding victory.
The correct question, by the way, is not which Republicans voted against. Hagel is already retiring. The correct question is which Democrats in red states voted AGAINST. Those seats can be targetted with these votes.
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