On President Bush and Senate Republicans Blocking Iraq Funding
November 20th, 2007 by Speaker PelosiCongress approved and the President signed legislation providing nearly a half trillion dollars to fully fund the Defense Department for 2008. House Democrats have also provided an additional $50 billion for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The President and Senate Republicans are now blocking this funding because it ties funding to bringing our troops home from Iraq responsibly, safely, and soon.
The House-passed bill will ensure that only fully mission capable troops may be deployed to Iraq, bars the use of torture, and sets a goal of December 2008 for redeployment of our combat forces.
If this legislation is enacted into law, we can make the American people safer by rebuilding and restoring the readiness and the capacity of our military to protect the American people wherever our interests are threatened.
Democrats and the American people support our troops in the field and will always insist they receive all the resources they require. If there is any delay in funding for our men and women in uniform, the responsibility will squarely lie with the President and Senate Republicans who are blocking the bill.