By Jen DiMascio
Democratic lawmakers last week objected to Pentagon pleas for the quick release of war funding and attacked the administration for politicizing the issue.
Before the start of a two-week Thanksgiving recess, the House passed a $50 billion bridge fund that would pay for several months of war operations. But Republicans rejected the bill’s Iraq war conditions, and the bill failed to net the necessary 60 votes to move out of the Senate.
That leaves the ball in the president’s court, according to Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
“We’ve given the money that is necessary to get us through to next year. If the president wants that money, all he has to do, as I said, is pick up the–is pick up the phone and call Mitch McConnell and say, ‘Mitch, let it come to me,'” Obey said, during yesterday’s press briefing.
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, passed on to reporters an Army Budget Office chart that spells out what activities will cease if supplemental funding is not received. The chart says that the Army will stop services at base installations, furlough civilian personnel, close family advocacy support, cease advertising and be unable to meet NATO obligations.
That chart, Murtha said, is a political document. “They’re scaring people. They’re scaring the families of the troops with this document. That’s the thing that’s so despicable about what they’re doing.”
He added that there are other ways to solve the problem.
Army Secretary Pete Geren testified last week that the recently passed defense appropriations bill provides the service with $27 billion in operation and maintenance funds– enough to support Iraq operations through February, but he added that notification of furloughs would have to begin before that.
Obey and Murtha did not spell out a plan for how they would proceed with additional legislation that would provide war funding.
Asked yesterday when the House would begin consideration of additional supplemental legislation Murtha said, “it depends.”
Part of what it might depend on is what happens in the Senate in December.
In a statement yesterday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called for passage of war funding by Christmas.
Republicans are looking for a bridge fund without the conditions on the Iraq war–that troops be fully trained and equipped, that the Army Field Manual rules on torture apply to all government employees and that the president create a plan to bring troops home by next December.
Senate Democratic leaders including Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, have repeatedly stated they will refuse to provide a “blank check” or funding for the war without conditions.
A spokesman for the Senate Armed Services Committee said yesterday no decisions on how to proceed with the bridge fund have been made.
A Senate Republican aide said the Senate will pass a bridge fund next month– somehow.