SENATE STABS TROOPS IN THE BACK AGAIN, HARRY REID "FIND MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE"
Senate Blocks Two-Fold Democratic Proposal to Withdraw US Troops and Fund the War in Iraq
The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal to pay for the Iraq war but require that troops start coming home.
The 53-45 vote was 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war without strings attached.
The Republican measure failed by an identical vote.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.
"Our troops continue to fight and die valiantly. And our Treasury continues to be depleted rapidly, for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq's own political leaders," said Reid, D-Nev.
Republicans said Democrats were being irresponsible.
"We need to get our troops everything they need," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "We need to get it to them right now."
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.
Gates, who met with lawmakers on Wednesday, said he does not have the money or the flexibility to move funds around to adequately cover the costs of the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There is a misperception that this department can continue funding our troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers, that we can shuffle money around the department. This is a serious misconception," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.
As a result, he said he is faced with the undesirable task of preparing to cease operations at Army bases by mid-February, and lay off about 100,000 defense department employees and an equal number of civilian contractors. A month later, he said, similar moves would have to be made by the Marines.
Some members of Congress believe the Pentagon can switch enough money to cover the war accounts, Gates said. But he added that he only has the flexibility to transfer about $3.7 billion, which is just one week's worth of war expenses. Lawmakers, he said, may not understand how complicated and restrictive the situation is.
Story Here
UPDATE:
Reid keeps Senate In Session Over Thanksgiving Holiday
Hey Reid! How about funding the Troops while you are at it asshole?
Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a few days the Troops will start running out of money. Right while they are winning. I am so pissed right now I cant stand it. Time to make phone calls again.
The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal to pay for the Iraq war but require that troops start coming home.
The 53-45 vote was 15 votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war without strings attached.
The Republican measure failed by an identical vote.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.
"Our troops continue to fight and die valiantly. And our Treasury continues to be depleted rapidly, for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq's own political leaders," said Reid, D-Nev.
Republicans said Democrats were being irresponsible.
"We need to get our troops everything they need," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "We need to get it to them right now."
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.
Gates, who met with lawmakers on Wednesday, said he does not have the money or the flexibility to move funds around to adequately cover the costs of the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There is a misperception that this department can continue funding our troops in the field for an indefinite period of time through accounting maneuvers, that we can shuffle money around the department. This is a serious misconception," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.
As a result, he said he is faced with the undesirable task of preparing to cease operations at Army bases by mid-February, and lay off about 100,000 defense department employees and an equal number of civilian contractors. A month later, he said, similar moves would have to be made by the Marines.
Some members of Congress believe the Pentagon can switch enough money to cover the war accounts, Gates said. But he added that he only has the flexibility to transfer about $3.7 billion, which is just one week's worth of war expenses. Lawmakers, he said, may not understand how complicated and restrictive the situation is.
Story Here
UPDATE:
Reid keeps Senate In Session Over Thanksgiving Holiday
Hey Reid! How about funding the Troops while you are at it asshole?
Story Here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In a few days the Troops will start running out of money. Right while they are winning. I am so pissed right now I cant stand it. Time to make phone calls again.
Labels: Backstabbing Democrats
posted by Marie's Two Cents | 7:54 AM
4 Comments:
My favorite part is a Democratic Senator announcing, "The days of the free lunch are over."
Since the Democratic Party is about nothing if it isn't about free lunch, this shows that they aren't even taking themselves seriously any more.
Uncle P,
I wish someone would go down there and lock the Senate door (Isnt that a legal form of House arrest?) and not let them out till they come up with a Troop funding bill that the President can sign.
I am getting so sick of this.
This is going to creme thme in the lection!
It certainly is another nail in the Democrats' November '08 coffin.
Right when the best news yet has come out of Iraq, even via the MSM, the Dems attempt their strongest cut-n-run assault to date.
And they accuse Bush of being stupid!
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