Democrats Stand Back as War Funding Continues

[babylonsister]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/110207J.shtml

Democrats Stand Back as War Funding Continues
By Maya Schenwar
t r u t h o u t | Report

Friday 02 November 2007

In the next few days, a Congressional conference committee will likely pass the largest defense spending bill in the history of the United States. Despite Democratic lawmakers' promises to stop issuing blank checks for war, the bill does not call for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq or Afghanistan, nor does it prevent military action against Iran.
Though the current version of the defense budget does not contain funding specifically for the war, money could easily be drawn from the budget and funneled into war costs unless the language of the bill is changed to specifically prohibit that usage, which it currently does not.

"A bridge fund is always possible," said OMB Watch policy analyst Adam Hughes, referring to a measure that would cordon off funds in the defense bill to be used only for war. "But even without it, they would have enough in the budget to sustain what's currently happening."

Moreover, even if no baseline budget money is used for war costs, Congress plans to continue financing the war at the current rate, House Defense Appropriations Chairman John Murtha told the Congressional Quarterly on Wednesday night.

Congress is currently operating on a "continuing resolution," or CR, which allows the war to be funded at the same levels it was funded last year. According to Murtha, Congress plans to renew the CR in mid-November, allowing war spending to continue unabated into the new year.

snip//

Yet, it is unclear whether such proposals have a chance of getting heard before the defense appropriations bill passes. The bill is usually not a contentious matter, and Inouye's spokesman noted many in Congress are eager to keep it that way. "There was some effort to include Iraq-related amendments, but Congress didn't want the bill to be caught up with the Iraq debate," he said. "That would've delayed action on the general bill."

[LakeSamish706]

1. I think its time someone reminded all of these idiots about something...

The initials are DOD... and stands for Department of Defense, and somehow they have misconstrued it to be DOO... Department of Offense ....

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Well, one of these days, maybe, after the elections, they may do something to stop the war.

Assuming the powder is dry enough and the Blue Dogs aren't too pouty or hold their breath and the lobbyists don't object and the polls are favorable, and...

Oh, forget about it.

[ulysses]

3. and assuming they can tear themselves away from the chess game.

[Cha]

4. With our Soldiers

as their Pawns.

[Solly Mack]

5. KBR and Blackwater are pleased (among other war profiteers)