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Bush Vetoes Troop Funding Bill
Last week, the Senate passed an emergency supplemental appropriations bill that provides more than $100 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, an increase over the President’s request, as well as emergency funding for critical needs, including veterans funding, homeland security projects, children’s health care and emergency disaster help for farmers, including right here in Michigan.
President Bush used his veto to say ‘no’ to these priorities.
When the President came to East Grand Rapids two weeks ago, he provided slogans when what we need in Iraq is a real solution. Our men and women in uniform are doing their job every day under the most dangerous conditions imaginable, and truly supporting our troops means having a plan for success that will allow them to come home safely. The administration’s strategy, which has dragged our troops into the middle of a bloody civil war, is clearly not working.
A majority of Americans, military experts and the Iraq Study Group all believe that this war cannot be won militarily and that the current path is not sustainable. This legislation represents the best opportunity for us to change course in Iraq, protect our troops, and provide them with the resources they need now.
We have passed a bill, agreed to by the House and the Senate, that not only provides the resources needed, but also puts into place benchmarks and timelines to bring a responsible end to the war. We know the current course is not working, but what can work is holding the Iraqis accountable for securing their own nation and making the very tough decisions that a country needs to make when they want to have a democracy. U.S. troops can not serve as a substitute for Iraqi resolve.
This presidential veto not only denies our troops the resources and the strategy they need and sends exactly the wrong message to the Iraqi political leaders. It also denies funding to our veterans and emergency resources the American people need here at home.
This bill contains more than $5 billion to ensure that returning troops and veterans receive the health care that they have earned, so that we don’t ever have another Walter Reed incident.
It has $6.9 billion for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
It provides emergency funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program so that children do not lose their health insurance before the end of this fiscal year.
It includes homeland security investments totaling $2.25 billion, including funds for port security and mass transit security, for explosives detection equipment at airports, and for several initiatives in the 9/11 bill that recently passed the Senate.
President Bush’s veto could not send a clearer message; he is going against the wishes of the majority of the American people and denying funds to our troops in the field.
The sacrifices of our troops demand leadership. After four years of a failed policy in Iraq, Congress has a new plan for the war - one that supports the troops on the ground and works to bring them home safely and responsibly.
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