Bush Asks Congress to Pass Funds for Troops

American Forces Press Service ^ | Sgt. Sara Wood, USA

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2007 – Congress needs to act soon to approve emergency funding for troops in the war on terror, President Bush said here today.

Speaking from the White House Rose Garden, Bush said Congress’ first priority before breaking for the holidays should be to provide troops the money they need for the fights in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The president said “we’re seeing the benefits of success” brought about by the Iraq strategy.

“This month, more of our troops will return home as a result of the success we’re seeing in Iraq. People are coming home,” Bush said. “For Congress to insist on setting an arbitrary date for withdrawal would put the gains (Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Multinational Force Iraq commander) and our troops have made in danger, and that would threaten the security of our country.”

Bush noted that, beginning in February, he submitted detailed funding requests to Congress for the war on terror. The president said Congress has refused to approve these requests without attaching a date of withdrawal for U.S. troops from Iraq.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other Pentagon officials have warned that further delays in funding will mean major cuts for the Defense Department and military, Bush said.

Unless Congress acts, DoD soon will have to begin giving furlough notices to about 100,000 civilian employees. Also, the military task force developing ways to better detect and protect troops from roadside bombs will run out of money by early next year, the Army will run out of operations and maintenance money in February, and the Marine Corps will run out of similar funds in March.

Earlier this year, congressional leaders were trying to impose conditions on funds because they said the U.S. strategy in Iraq was not working, Bush said. However, the administration changed its strategy and even those who initially opposed the troop surge now acknowledge it is working, he said.

“It is time for members of Congress to meet their responsibility to our men and women in uniform, and they should stay in session until they pass these emergency funds for our troops,” Bush said.

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Transcript

[shield]

I’ve read layoffs will start just before Christmas in lots of donkey’s districts.

[PROCON]

Yeah dims, good thinking, lay off folks right around Christmas.

FUND OUR TROOPS, THE WAR IS SOON WON!!

Morons and traitors!!

[bray]

Do Nothing Nancy is attempting to drive her numbers into single digits. Matches her IQ as well as her Blinks per Day.

Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops

[icwhatudo]

Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland has departments working on essential personnel lists for the coming furlough (if the dems do not pass the funding). These lists are due tomorrow and staff has been notified that current funding will last only till February 23rd.

Any other DOD employees hearing this at your bases?

[icwhatudo]

BTW-on another thread someone came up with a great idea-War bonds or a modern equivalent. Rush and Hannity could get the ball rolling with a “support the troops” fund raising drive. Soldiers could appear on telethons on FOX to raise money to continue supplying our troops at war. The dems would get ROASTED!!! When they finally cave, all the donations could be turned over to a wounded soldiers/surviving families fund. Be awesome if this could be done.

[FMBass]

“Rush and Hannity could get the ball rolling with a “support the troops” fund raising drive.”

The heck with them, how about one of the Republican Presidential candidates or President Bush himself.

Now that would be a coup!

[jocko12]

Here comes another PORK bill.Get out the veto pen BUSH.

[shield]

I thought it was contract personnel that will be laid off around Christmas.

[shield]

War Bonds...great idea...lots of folks here in Texas would definitely anni up big time. Yes, it’d ROAST THE DONKEYS

[icwhatudo]

"I thought it was contract personnel that will be laid off around Christmas."

I know they go before anyone else, not sure on the date. Civilian government employees of the military have till Feb 23rd.

[Owen]

People, this has become 100% political and we must fight the battle in that context.

The Democrats face the reality that they are funding victory. They had hoped it would be giving the GOP enough rope to hang themselves, but they did not reckon on the US military’s insistence on victory. Now they face the reality that they are funding victory, and victory can be devastating for them.

It is a very easy call for them to simply say no . . . we will not fund our own destruction.

For us to get that funding the political pressures have to reverse on them and make the price higher for them to refuse funding then to fund.

The only way I see that is to stop having this be Bush’s war and the GOP’s war. It must be the troops war.

The rhetoric must be phrased as follows:

Do not condemn these brave men and women on the very cusp of the triumph of their lifetimes to abject defeat and surrender. Do not do that to these, our finest young people, who deserve the victory they have earned. Provide them the funding they need for victory. History will applaud you if you do.

They don’t need to hear about history remembering who pimped surrender. Get the money first — then unleash that bit of history.

[shield]

OK...I understood it was contract personnel that’s being laid off just before Christmas....not civilian military personnel.