House Democrats dismiss White House military 'horror stories'

The top House Democrats overseeing military funding Tuesday blasted the Pentagon's assertions of mass furloughs and other harsh steps necessary if Congress adjourns for the year without approving a bridge fund to pay for the war in Iraq.

Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wisc., and Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., blamed President Bush and Senate Republicans for blocking passage last week of a $50 billion measure because it would impose conditions on the funding, such as leave and training standards, anti-torture safeguards and a goal of withdrawing the troops by Christmas 2008.

"If the president wants that $50 billion released, all he has to do is call the Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and ask him to stop blocking it," said Obey, who read aloud McConnell's office phone number. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Congress should not adjourn for Christmas without providing the money.

"We owe it to our troops to protect them by providing the funding they need without further delay or grandstanding," McConnell said. Bush could call Congress into session to act this winter, and under House rules, enough Republicans and moderate-to-conservative Democrats could align to force action.

Bush threatened to veto the bill, which OMB said "unwisely abandons the cause of freedom and stability in the Middle East." Tuesday, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said failure to pass a bridge fund could force the Pentagon to send furlough notices to as many as 100,000 Army and Marine Corps civilian employees at bases in the United States beginning in mid-December, to take effect within 60-90 days. According to the Army, if funding is not provided, it will have to furlough up to 150,000 civilian employees, close child-care centers and libraries at bases, and terminate counseling for returning soldiers and their families.

Murtha said such statements damage morale and are "despicable" and "utterly irresponsible," particularly when Bush could immediately sign into law the $50 billion measure. He and Obey said the Pentagon would have sufficient funding to last into March, based on the $471 billion Defense appropriations bill Bush signed last week. Obey criticized the Pentagon and White House talking points as "horror stories they're peddling" to try and steamroll Congress into providing a blank check. The war-funding stalemate could be tied to the larger budget fight, in which Bush and GOP leaders are opposing the Democrats' split-the-difference approach on domestic spending. Some Republicans are urging Bush to accept the Democrats' offer, but others are saying they will only sign off if war-funding is included.

"I cannot believe this town would be irresponsible enough to not eventually resolve our differences. But it is getting late," Obey said.