TOPICS
TOPICS
Bush demands vote on Defense funding
President Bush Monday demanded that Congress pass an Iraq war funding bill that he can support, saying Congress should remain in session until the legislation is finished.
Bush put the Iraq funding supplemental at the top of what he described as "nearly a year's worth of unfinished business" that Congress must address this month. Bush opposes legislation backed by Democratic leaders that would offer a schedule for withdrawals of U.S. troops. Pointing to military progress on the ground, Bush said that this month "more of our troops will return home as a result of the success we're seeing in Iraq."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Bush of failing to negotiate with Democrats. "We could have already given our troops what they need in Iraq and funded our critical needs at home if not for the stubborn refusal of President Bush and his Republican enablers to work with us," Reid said in a statement. "President Bush fails to grasp that the way to get things done for the American people is by sitting down to negotiate our differences, not by posturing from the Rose Garden."
Later, in a news conference, Reid repeated that the blame for little getting done this year belonged with the president.
"We've been willing to work with him, and he has for seven years been unalterably opposed to anything other than something he wants," Reid said. "No negotiations, no change of course, no cooperation whatsoever."
Bush listed steps the Pentagon will have to take if the supplemental is not soon passed, including sending layoff notices to about 100,000 civilian employees.
"Unless Congress acts," Bush said, the Army will run out of operations and maintenance money in February and the Marine Corps will deplete those funds in March. Reid Monday said he expects to hold another vote on Iraq war funding this month.
During a news conference this afternoon, Reid would not give details on any bill language he is considering, but said it could be "something a little bit different" from a $50 billion bridge fund that failed to pass the Senate last month. Reid also expressed some optimism that he has been building support in the Senate, saying that there have been "some changes on both sides."
In November, Senate Democrats fell seven votes short of the 60 needed to end debate and proceed to a vote on the bridge fund, which would tie the money to a withdrawal timeline and other conditions.
Monday, Reid said that bill had only "minimum strings attached." The $50 billion bridge fund, which passed the House on a 218-203 vote, is a down payment on Bush's request for $196.4 billion in emergency war-related and diplomatic spending this year.
Bush called on Congress to pass legislation updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He demanded Democrats withdraw objections to language that would provide legal immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in the administration's eavesdropping program. He said Congress must also approve a patch to check the reach of the alternative minimum tax and approve the outstanding appropriations bills.
Bush repeated his threat to veto bills that exceeded his spending limits. He also warned Congress not to resort to an omnibus bill, which he called "one monster piece of legislation, which [Democrats] will load up with billions of dollars in earmarks and wasteful spending."
COMMENTS
- First, I apologize for any confusion that my usual nom de plume didn’t register. Perhaps my rhetoric put you under the assumption that I consider myself omnipotent and speak for everyone; but, unfortunately, I do know better. Do you? As for the 1992 & 1996 campaigns, most folks attribute the unusual number of candidates to the dissatisfaction with the status quo; i.e. Shrub, senior, the Party Pacaderm (PP), and the economy. Considering the “spoilers” in such races, it seems amazing that Slick finished with only 5.4% higher that the PP’s Potentate in 1992 and 8.5% in 1996. Perot, alone, pulled 18.9% & 8.4% of the vote in each respective election, something that hasn’t been seen for decades before or since. You seem to miss the important points; that under our present system, as graphically shown in 2000, we are not a democracy and do not have that ultimate Freedom of Speech, one vote for each person. I won’t even get into the conspiracy theories of how family gave away that election through the manipulation of civilian votes and the abrogation of military voting rights, but the facts speak for themselves; 537 Floridian votes counted for more than 543,852 through out the rest of the US. Out of this morass, came the “Entitled One”. I understand his initial reaction to 9/11, the need to make the world feel our wrath and might; but the manipulation and distortion of the facts … well as the old adage says: “The truth will out.” And there in lies the rub. The POTUS showed either Machiavellian maneuvers or amazing incompetence leading us into this conflict; and then more incompetence through its conduct over the first 4 years. But the worst was yet to come, the suspension of our civil liberties through the PATRIOT Act. These are the facts staring many of us in the face. And then we read the “Communication President” demanding his money. There is a reason Congress controls the purse strings and, depending on the party in power, I’m sure you would agree (should the roles/parties be reversed) that there must be some breaks on this runaway train. The fear of the citizenry has been the grease beneath its wheels; but then our reactions are calming, we are beginning to see the truth rather than lurkers behind each Bush. Tip off Posted December 10, 2007 11:10 AM
- So the Smirking Chimp is making demands again? When the hell has he not. This President (if you would like to call him that) is the most partisan one we have ever had. There is absolutely no meeting in the middle or stepping over party lines for him and his merry band of lemmings. I call him the OBSTRUCTIONIST IN CHIEF. The time has come for this "war" to begin coming to a close in terms of deploying troops and fighting a war on credit (I sure will not see the effects but my children and grand children will). As a civil servant I will take the hit and will accept the furlough if it does occur. If staying home, not making a dime, for one day or one month avoids another service member casualty then I am all for it. A budget will be passed but only Congress and the Obstructionist will have figure it out. Besides, I have a few bucks saved to keep me afloat during this time and beside I sure could use a long vacation. Only 11 months until our National election which I hopefully will see the "bums thown out" and more intelligent man/woman elected to lead this county than the fool who is doing so now. Time to Go Posted December 6, 2007 7:26 AM
- It seems our political leaders do not care about the federal worforce, men and women who work in the service of their country. Folks who work long hours for less pay to keep this country running. Well its time to change all of our leaders from both parties and put leaders that really care. JT Posted December 5, 2007 9:47 PM
