By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
December 3, 2007
WASHINGTON - President Bush and congressional Democrats are
locked in a struggle over Iraq spending, with neither side
budging and each calculating that its argument will be the
one to resonate with voters.
For both sides, this rhetorical tug-of-war has become a question
of leadership on national security issues and who is more committed
to the troops.
"It's unconscionable to deny funds to our troops in harm's
way because some in Congress want to force a self-defeating
policy, especially when we're seeing the benefits of success," Bush
said in a Rose Garden speech on Monday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wasted no time in responding.
"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," he told reporters at a Capitol Hill
news conference.
The conflict could be on display this week, if the Senate
revisits a $50 billion measure to pay for the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan but call for most troops to come home by Dec.
15, 2008.
The bill is doomed to fail since it is identical to one blocked
last month by Senate Republicans, who said Democrats were trying
to limit military commanders' flexibility. The bill failed
53-45, falling seven votes short of the 60 needed to overcome
procedural hurdles.
But with Bush blaming Democrats for failing to provide money
needed by the troops, party leaders are on the defensive and
hoping to switch the public message.
"Democrats want to work with the president, yet he continues
to engage in the same tired rhetoric that does not serve the
best interests of the American people," said House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Once the bill fails in the Senate, it's expected that Congress
will not consider another spending bill for Iraq. While it
is possible Democrats could allot some money for other military
needs, Iraq will be left out of the equation until Congress
returns in January.
After that, Democrats won't say what will happen.
"House Democrats have passed a bill that provides our
troops with both $50 billion in funding and a strategy to bring
them home safely and soon," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
D-Calif.
Congress has until mid-February before the Army will cease
base operations and until March before the Marines take similar
steps, according to the Pentagon.
Because of the uncertainty, the Pentagon this month will send
layoff notices to an unspecified number of civilian employees
whose union agreements require 60 days advance notice; the
layoffs would be effective next February and could apply to
as many as 100,000 civilian employees and 100,000 civilian
contractors.
The standoff between Bush and the Democrats is largely on
principal, as the Democratic bill would likely have little
or no practical effect on force levels in Iraq.
The measure calls for troops to start coming home in 30 days — a
requirement that Bush is already on track to meet as he begins
reversing this year's troop buildup in Iraq. And the 2008 goal
to have most troops home is a nonbinding goal, which means
Bush could ignore it.
___
On the Net:
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov
Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil
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