Text 27570, 101 rader
Skriven 2007-03-01 20:19:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: Dems
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Dems want to cut military spending.  Whoda thunk ?  When they do, they 
take full responsibility for this war.


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http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/03/01/D8NJIKU00.html

Democrats May Cut Bush Military Budget

Mar 01 2:32 PM US/Eastern

   
By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer

  

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats are considering cutting President Bush's 
budget $142 billion request for military operations in Iraq and 
Afghanistan next year by $20 billion, Senate Budget Committee Chairman 
Kent Conrad said Thursday. 

The war funding cut would affect the budget year beginning Oct. 1 and is 
separate from the ongoing debate over Bush's $100 billion request for 
immediate supplemental funding for Iraq and Afghanistan. 

 

The North Dakota Democrat said he likely will use Congressional Budget 
Office estimates _ instead of the administration's February budget 
request _ as the basis for estimating Iraq and Afghanistan war costs. 

The administration asked for $141.7 billion for Fiscal 2008, but assumes 
only $50 billion for 2009 and no war funding after that. 

CBO issued an estimate last month that forecasts 2008 costs of $120 
billion for Pentagon operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and military aid 
for the armies of those two countries. The estimates would drop to $75 
billion in 2009 and to $40 billion in 2010. 

Conrad is following a CBO scenario under which the number of troops 
deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are reduced to 30,000 by 2010. 

But over the full five-year window, Conrad said Democrats would actually 
provide $85 billion more in war funds than Bush requested since he 
assumes a continued troop presence over 2010-2012. 

"We are going to provide actually more funding , because we think the 
president's budget has understated the war costs over the five-year 
period," Conrad said. 

He added that the congressional budget resolution he is drafting for 
debate later this month will provide Bush's request for a $49 billion 
boost in the core Pentagon budget. 

Conrad said a final decision has not been made whether to impose the $20 
billion cut. 

The annual congressional budget blueprint sets guidelines but is not 
binding, and the actual war budget will be set under a fiscal 2008 
defense spending bill that will advance later this year. 

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England told the budget panel that 
the administration's $142 billion 2008 war request is the Pentagon's 
best estimate but that it "could go up or down" depending on how well 
the war goes. 

The nearly four-year-old war in Iraq has thus far been financed 
primarily through emergency spending bills, to growing criticism from 
lawmakers who say it should be part of the long-term budget. Last 
month's Bush budget submission represented the first time the 
administration offered a detailed war funding request so far in advance. 

A separate issue is the looming $100 billion Iraq and Afghanistan 
funding bill, which continues to roil Capitol Hill. 

Democrats are deeply divided over their Iraq strategy, but leaders such 
as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., want the war funding bill to 
require that any troops deployed in Iraq be properly trained, equipped 
and rested. 

The conditions could be waived, under their most recent plan, but 
President Bush would have to do so himself, and report to Congress each 
time. 

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Republicans would vote 
against the war funding measure if it contained restrictions that 
inhibited Bush, but he said Republicans would have to see a detailed 
proposal before reaching any such decision. 

"We will fight every effort that the Democrats attempt to put handcuffs 
on the president to stymie his ability to wage this war in Iraq and to 
win it," Boehner said. 

The comments marked something of a role revision for Republicans, who 
have savaged Democrats for proposing conditions on the Iraq spending 
measure, saying they were trying to cut off funding for the troops. 

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