Breaking: Senate Votes Down War Funding Bill
“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.”
“The days of a free lunch are over,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
WASHINGTON- 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 seven 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 45-53, 15 short of the number of votes needed to go forward.
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.
At the White House Friday, deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said: “DOD would have to eat into their annual budget and I believe that still presents difficulties in getting the troops in the field the resources they need to carry out their mission.”
“We’d rather see the Department of Defense, the military planners and our troops focusing on military maneuvers, rather than accounting maneuvers as they carry out their mission in the field,” Fratto said. “I think Congress should send this money, allow these troops to get the equipment they need. There is no reason why they should not get the money. This isn’t like this is a last-minute effort and call for funding.”
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.
(AP)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
These traitors are actually pleased that they are not going to support our troops. They are really pleased with the stall. I don’t know about others but this really pisses me off. I am going to make an effort not to spend a dime with anyone that supports a democrat. Maybe they will get the message if the silent majority cuts off the cash flow.
November 16th, 2007 at 8:00 am“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.”
Leave it to the senator from the great state of Kentucky. Join us at Bobby Mackies this weekend and ill buy you a drink.
Harry Reid, I would drop him off on the other side of the bridge in cincy after dark. over the rhine
November 16th, 2007 at 8:01 amIt would make me feel better if I thought these POS were having trouble sleeping at night, but don’t think that is the case. Hey what the hell…let’s leave our troops stuck out…we’ll talk about it in a month or so…what bullshit!
November 16th, 2007 at 8:07 amNot surprised in the least by this dem tantrum. It’s SOP for these arrogant leftists to place their own political fortunes above that of others. It’s not enough that Patraeus is bringing home a brigade soon thanks to these brave men’s noble victory in Iraq. No, to these politicos, job finished or not we must bring all home before the election simply to help these dem political ambitions. Shameful. They truly are the infidels Muslims talk about.
So how did these dem POS get there? Was sitting at home in ‘06 in silent protest against Repub spending worth this outrage to our blessed men and women in uniform that are giving it all for us? We gonna sit at home when DePalma’s piece of garbage comes to our town? Gonna join Move America Forward when they come to town to protest these clowns in Congress? If a bunch of banlon, alligator imprinted shirt wearing patriots in Florida could stop these sneaky bastards from stealing an election we can sure as hell do something. Time to get out of the house, get in some lib POS face and fight to win our country back. And way past time to pull a Bondaduce on some whiny leftist asses. I’ll be seeing you at the next pro troop rally, Cuban’s theaters and the polls and hoping like hell one of these arrogant whiners gets in my face.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:22 ami hope gates starts with the air bases in nevada.. anyone that would elect that moran time and again to represtent them don’t deserve any money of jobs..let those people eat their sand..like the MARINES in iraq..
November 16th, 2007 at 9:34 amWhat they did was vote themselves out of office.
Thanks for finally showing us who you are, Dirt Bags!
Now it’s time you go home.
How out of touch are these a$$holes with the American people and with reality.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:35 am[…] Posted by papundits on November 16, 2007 Breaking: Senate Votes Down War Funding Bill […]
November 16th, 2007 at 10:00 amStart arming yourselves…
November 16th, 2007 at 10:12 am[…] Breaking: Senate Votes Down War Funding Bill […]
November 16th, 2007 at 10:14 amIf there is any silver lining to this, in November of next year voters will remember which party cut the funding to our troops while they were still *in the field*.
Last time I checked, no matter who you supported politically, people still support the troops.
This is the Democrats shooting themselves in the foot again.
(You’d think that Reid would barely have any ankles left, by now…)
November 16th, 2007 at 11:49 am