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U.S. Democrats reject Pentagon layoff warnings
Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:58pm EST
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Democrats on Tuesday accused the Bush
administration of peddling "horror stories" about Iraq war funding,
insisting the Pentagon had adequate money until March and rejecting
claims that layoffs would be needed to keep troops in the field.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that unless the
Democratic-majority Congress approved more Iraq war funds shortly, he
would have to start planning for contract terminations and layoffs of
some 100,000 Defense Department employees.
The Pentagon is seeking $196 billion in funds for Iraq and Afghanistan
for fiscal 2008, which began on Oct. 1. Congress already has approved
$604 billion for the wars since 2001.
"Because the Pentagon says it, you believe it? You believe what the
Pentagon says?" Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House of
Representatives defense spending panel, said at a news conference.
Murtha recalled previous Bush administration assertions about the war,
such as the need to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, which
were then never found.
"We've already provided all the money the administration will need to
get them through to March and to avoid the horror stories that they
are peddling," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey,
a Wisconsin Democrat.
Capitol Hill Democrats who want U.S. troops to come home have offered
to pass $50 billion of the requested funding but with strings
attached, including a requirement that most U.S. troops withdraw by
December 2008. The House approved that plan but Senate Republicans
blocked it last week, using rules that let the minority stop the
chamber from taking up a bill.
Gates' warnings have been amplified by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon
England, who wrote to congressional leaders that the funding delays
would hurt the defense civilian work force, depot maintenance, base
operations and training activities.
But Murtha lambasted the letter Tuesday as a "political document." The
ex-Marine and Pennsylvania Democrat said he had visited several
military depots recently and they had seven months' backlog of work,
fully funded.
"They're scaring people. They're scaring the families of the troops
with this document," he said, adding scornfully that it was
reminiscent of something former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one
of the Iraq war architects, would produce.
It was unclear, even to Murtha and Obey, how long Democrats could
continue to delay the funding under heavy Bush administration
pressure.
Obey said he would be happy to give President George W. Bush the full
$196 billion immediately if the president accepted what he portrayed
as the minimal Democratic conditions, mainly a plan for withdrawal by
December 2008.
He rejected the notion that withdrawal meant condoning defeat, saying,
"Our military won the war a long time ago."
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Tuesday urged Congress to pass
the war funding before year's end.
"We are calling on Congress and the Democrats in Congress to send the
president supplemental war funding without arbitrary surrender dates
and without micromanaging the war before they leave for their next
vacation, which is going to be around the Christmas holidays," she
said.
The Republican Party wants to keep the Iraq war going FOREVER, vote
Republican and you can kiss America good bye FOREVER.
This is the latest November 16 vote on the bill the Democrats
presented to end the war in Iraq. This is who voted for and against
ending the war. The voting record is crystal clear showing how
Republicans are all voting to keep the war going against the bill and
Democrats are all voting for the bill to cut funding and end the war..
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---53
=========
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---45
============
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Not Voting - 2
===========
Lott (R-MS)
McCain (R-AZ)
Source: United States Senate Website - www.senate.gov
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/L...ote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00412
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/L...ote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00411
Tue Nov 20, 2007 2:58pm EST
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Democrats on Tuesday accused the Bush
administration of peddling "horror stories" about Iraq war funding,
insisting the Pentagon had adequate money until March and rejecting
claims that layoffs would be needed to keep troops in the field.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last week that unless the
Democratic-majority Congress approved more Iraq war funds shortly, he
would have to start planning for contract terminations and layoffs of
some 100,000 Defense Department employees.
The Pentagon is seeking $196 billion in funds for Iraq and Afghanistan
for fiscal 2008, which began on Oct. 1. Congress already has approved
$604 billion for the wars since 2001.
"Because the Pentagon says it, you believe it? You believe what the
Pentagon says?" Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House of
Representatives defense spending panel, said at a news conference.
Murtha recalled previous Bush administration assertions about the war,
such as the need to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, which
were then never found.
"We've already provided all the money the administration will need to
get them through to March and to avoid the horror stories that they
are peddling," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey,
a Wisconsin Democrat.
Capitol Hill Democrats who want U.S. troops to come home have offered
to pass $50 billion of the requested funding but with strings
attached, including a requirement that most U.S. troops withdraw by
December 2008. The House approved that plan but Senate Republicans
blocked it last week, using rules that let the minority stop the
chamber from taking up a bill.
Gates' warnings have been amplified by Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon
England, who wrote to congressional leaders that the funding delays
would hurt the defense civilian work force, depot maintenance, base
operations and training activities.
But Murtha lambasted the letter Tuesday as a "political document." The
ex-Marine and Pennsylvania Democrat said he had visited several
military depots recently and they had seven months' backlog of work,
fully funded.
"They're scaring people. They're scaring the families of the troops
with this document," he said, adding scornfully that it was
reminiscent of something former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one
of the Iraq war architects, would produce.
It was unclear, even to Murtha and Obey, how long Democrats could
continue to delay the funding under heavy Bush administration
pressure.
Obey said he would be happy to give President George W. Bush the full
$196 billion immediately if the president accepted what he portrayed
as the minimal Democratic conditions, mainly a plan for withdrawal by
December 2008.
He rejected the notion that withdrawal meant condoning defeat, saying,
"Our military won the war a long time ago."
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Tuesday urged Congress to pass
the war funding before year's end.
"We are calling on Congress and the Democrats in Congress to send the
president supplemental war funding without arbitrary surrender dates
and without micromanaging the war before they leave for their next
vacation, which is going to be around the Christmas holidays," she
said.
The Republican Party wants to keep the Iraq war going FOREVER, vote
Republican and you can kiss America good bye FOREVER.
This is the latest November 16 vote on the bill the Democrats
presented to end the war in Iraq. This is who voted for and against
ending the war. The voting record is crystal clear showing how
Republicans are all voting to keep the war going against the bill and
Democrats are all voting for the bill to cut funding and end the war..
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---53
=========
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---45
============
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Not Voting - 2
===========
Lott (R-MS)
McCain (R-AZ)
Source: United States Senate Website - www.senate.gov
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/L...ote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00412
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/L...ote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00411
