The Hill: "Gates 'Increasingly Concerned' by Delay in War Funding Approval"
Congressional Desk
July 30, 2010
Republicans Leaders Call on President Obama and Speaker Pelosi To Commit To Moving a Clear War Supplemental Spending Bill
Washington, D.C.— In an effort to spur action, the Secretary of Defense urged Congress to approve more money for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee. According to an article published in The Hill newspaper, Secretary Robert Gates warned that Congress would force the Pentagon "to curtail defense operations" if it did not approve the $33 billion war supplemental by July 4.
The Hill article stated that Gates "told Senate appropriators he is ´becoming increasingly concerned´ by the delay in the approval of a…war supplemental for the remainder of this fiscal year."
Responding to comments made by the second highest ranking leader in the House Democratic Caucus that questioned the urgency of approving the supplemental, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary Gates on June 11 urging him to "communicate the critical operational need for Congress to approve the President´s request for emergency wartime operations funding without further delay."
According to an article published in Politico, a new row between the White House and Congressional Democrats on how to pay for billions in new domestic spending has now further delayed new war funding. The Politico article pointed out that "House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey served notice that he would withhold action on Obama´s new war funding until the dust clears on domestic spending issues."
Further, Obey, according to Politico, has said "he would withhold action on the war funds until there was some resolution on a major economic relief bill extending jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses."
In response to Chairman Obey´s plan to withhold funding for U.S. warfighters deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan until Congress agrees to more domestic spending, the top Republicans on the House Armed Services, Appropriations, and Education and Labor committees yesterday urged President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to publicly reject any further delay in troop funding. Although the Senate approved the measure in May, action has been delayed in the House because of efforts to include an extraneous state bailout package sought by special interest groups.
The letter, sent by Reps. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), and John Kline (R-MN), urged the president and speaker to publicly commit to moving a clean war funding measure without further delay. Highlights of the letter follow:
"We are writing to express our concern regarding the continued delay in passing the 2010 wartime supplemental appropriations bill, and ask you to ensure the House of Representatives acts on the Administration´s request for emergency wartime operations immediately…
"Reports in the press indicate the House Appropriations Committee has failed to provide the wartime supplemental funding to our military in Afghanistan and Iraq because congressional appropriators intend to meet the demands of teachers´ unions by adding billions of dollars in new funding for state and local budgets. Delaying funds to our troops on the front lines to bail out state governments is dangerous and irresponsible. The men and women in uniform operating in harm´s way in Afghanistan and Iraq deserve better; they have answered the call to duty, we have not...
"Failure to provide supplemental appropriations before the end of this spring will undermine the Department´s operations, result in hollowing out of military personnel accounts, and disrupt war-related accounts. As Secretary Gates stated today, ´[i]f the supplemental is not enacted by the July 4th congressional recess, we will have to begin planning to curtail defense operations.´
"Further delay of the war funding measure is tantamount to abdicating our constitutional duty to ´provide for the common defense.´ The funds desperately needed by our men and women in uniform should not be delayed by or diverted to other domestic concerns. Hijacking the wartime appropriation in favor of a state bailout simply delays the difficult choices state governments need to make and ultimately advances an ill-advised policy of using federal dollars to prop up unsustainable funding commitments made by the states…
"With summer upon us and the supplemental appropriation in limbo in the House of Representatives, it´s apparent to us the Administration´s request for emergency wartime operations funding will not receive the priority it deserves without your personal, immediate, and clear expression of the operational need and consequences of inaction. We strongly recommend you publicly commit to moving this wartime spending measure without delay."
Washington, D.C.— In an effort to spur action, the Secretary of Defense urged Congress to approve more money for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq while testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee. According to an article published in The Hill newspaper, Secretary Robert Gates warned that Congress would force the Pentagon "to curtail defense operations" if it did not approve the $33 billion war supplemental by July 4.
The Hill article stated that Gates "told Senate appropriators he is ´becoming increasingly concerned´ by the delay in the approval of a…war supplemental for the remainder of this fiscal year."
Responding to comments made by the second highest ranking leader in the House Democratic Caucus that questioned the urgency of approving the supplemental, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.) sent a letter to Secretary Gates on June 11 urging him to "communicate the critical operational need for Congress to approve the President´s request for emergency wartime operations funding without further delay."
According to an article published in Politico, a new row between the White House and Congressional Democrats on how to pay for billions in new domestic spending has now further delayed new war funding. The Politico article pointed out that "House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey served notice that he would withhold action on Obama´s new war funding until the dust clears on domestic spending issues."
Further, Obey, according to Politico, has said "he would withhold action on the war funds until there was some resolution on a major economic relief bill extending jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and popular tax breaks for individuals and businesses."
In response to Chairman Obey´s plan to withhold funding for U.S. warfighters deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan until Congress agrees to more domestic spending, the top Republicans on the House Armed Services, Appropriations, and Education and Labor committees yesterday urged President Obama and Speaker Pelosi to publicly reject any further delay in troop funding. Although the Senate approved the measure in May, action has been delayed in the House because of efforts to include an extraneous state bailout package sought by special interest groups.
The letter, sent by Reps. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), and John Kline (R-MN), urged the president and speaker to publicly commit to moving a clean war funding measure without further delay. Highlights of the letter follow:
"We are writing to express our concern regarding the continued delay in passing the 2010 wartime supplemental appropriations bill, and ask you to ensure the House of Representatives acts on the Administration´s request for emergency wartime operations immediately…
"Reports in the press indicate the House Appropriations Committee has failed to provide the wartime supplemental funding to our military in Afghanistan and Iraq because congressional appropriators intend to meet the demands of teachers´ unions by adding billions of dollars in new funding for state and local budgets. Delaying funds to our troops on the front lines to bail out state governments is dangerous and irresponsible. The men and women in uniform operating in harm´s way in Afghanistan and Iraq deserve better; they have answered the call to duty, we have not...
"Failure to provide supplemental appropriations before the end of this spring will undermine the Department´s operations, result in hollowing out of military personnel accounts, and disrupt war-related accounts. As Secretary Gates stated today, ´[i]f the supplemental is not enacted by the July 4th congressional recess, we will have to begin planning to curtail defense operations.´
"Further delay of the war funding measure is tantamount to abdicating our constitutional duty to ´provide for the common defense.´ The funds desperately needed by our men and women in uniform should not be delayed by or diverted to other domestic concerns. Hijacking the wartime appropriation in favor of a state bailout simply delays the difficult choices state governments need to make and ultimately advances an ill-advised policy of using federal dollars to prop up unsustainable funding commitments made by the states…
"With summer upon us and the supplemental appropriation in limbo in the House of Representatives, it´s apparent to us the Administration´s request for emergency wartime operations funding will not receive the priority it deserves without your personal, immediate, and clear expression of the operational need and consequences of inaction. We strongly recommend you publicly commit to moving this wartime spending measure without delay."