House Appropriations Chairman Threatens To Unilaterally Cut Off War Funding
Obey, on the right
Rep. David R. Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, yesterday threatened unilaterally to block President Bush’s $189 billion emergency war-funding bill to force a U.S. pullout from Iraq and called for levying a surtax to cover the war’s costs.
Mr. Obey, breaking with the Democratic leadership that has failed repeatedly to end the Iraq war, said unless Mr. Bush establishes a goal to abort combat operations in Iraq by January, he would act alone to cut off war spending.
“Future generations should not be saddled with paying for an ill-advised war in Iraq that seems to be never-ending,” said the Wisconsin Democrat, who could use his powerful post to lock up the funding bill in committee. “If this war is important enough to fight, then it ought to be important enough to pay for.”
The proposed income-tax surcharge — a progressive tax ranging from 2 percent to about 15 percent — would net $150 billion a year to cover the cost of the war in Iraq, said Mr. Obey.
The 4½ years of war has cost a total of about $450 billion.
Mr. Obey’s proposals did not target the war in Afghanistan, which he said was a justifiable war because the Taliban supported al Qaeda before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack.
“It is to draw a meaningful line in the sand,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Democrat and an outspoken war critic. Mr. McGovern and Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, were at Mr. Obey’s side when he announced the surtax plan.
The tax plan got a cool reception from Democratic leaders in both chambers. But they were open to cutting off war funds, a politically dangerous stance gaining acceptance, especially in the Senate.
“Just as I have opposed the war from the outset, I am opposed to a draft, and I am opposed to a war surtax,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. “The choice is between a Democratic plan for responsible redeployment of our troops and the president’s plan for a 10-year war in Iraq. We must end this war.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said Mrs. Pelosi’s opposition to the tax was “good enough for me.” He said no other strategy to challenge war policy, including denying funds, is “off the table” as the Senate took up the defense appropriations bill yesterday and later with the emergency war-funding bill.
Republicans slammed the surtax proposal and plans to block war funds, which will run out next month.
“Raiding every taxpayer’s wallet for the purposes of playing politics with our national security amounts to one of the most irresponsible proposals I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said House Minority Leader John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican.
“First they fought to cut funding for our troops, and now they are proposing to cut extra funds from family budgets in order to advance their political agenda of higher taxes and more spending,” he said.
Sen. Pete V. Domenici, New Mexico Republican, said Mr. Obey’s threat to block war funds was “pretty gutsy.”
“But I don’t see how it would work,” he said. “In the end, you’ve got to feed the soldiers.”
The plan to starve the troops of funds would be “cheered by America’s enemies,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican.
“This would be a blessing to al Qaeda, which is getting its brains beat out [in Iraq],” Mr. Graham said.
At the White House, Mr. Bush met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
The two talked about the need for Iraq’s parliament to pass key provisions that would hasten sectarian reconciliation.
Mr. Talabani assured Mr. Bush that “there was a good political environment right now for them to be able to move forward,” said White House press secretary Dana Perino.
Mrs. Perino defended the Iraqi parliament from charges that they have been making such statements for months, saying that “they’re starting to move forward.”
“I understand the frustration and the impatience. I think that they’re moving in the right direction,” said Mrs. Perino, though she did add that “if the laws don’t pass, I think the president would remain frustrated.”
House Democrats, frustrated by passing pullout legislation that dies in the Senate, yesterday turned to a war bill that didn’t mandate a troop withdrawal but instead would require the Pentagon to report on its redeployment plans.
The bill by Democratic Reps. John Tanner of Tennessee and Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii passed 377-46, with support from 196 Democrats and 181 Republicans.
Republicans said the bill, which antiwar Democrats rejected as too weak earlier this year, did not change the president’s war plan but highlights ongoing Pentagon planning for a gradual drawdown of troops.
“Hopefully, the Pentagon has contingency plans. We don’t know about those contingency plans,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat.
He said it was a “very significant” vote that sent a message to the president and provided Congress information necessary to plan an end to the war.
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, Texas Democrat and an Out of Iraq Caucus member, previously said the measure didn’t go far enough, but yesterday called it a “good step.”
“We are in the mix,” she said. “We are fighting to bring [the troops] home.”
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Victory is closing in on them, got to surrender now. A unique time in American history.
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:12 amIn 1975, before they cut the throat of our ally the South Vietnamese, at least the Democrat/Surrender Party waited until our troops were out of the country. This time, they want to surrender while our troops are still in contact with (and in fact are kicking the ass of) the enemy. All for what they think will be a political gain in the next election cycle. If they ever get this done, I hope the American people give them a political message at the next earliest opportunity - that we completely reject surrender as a policy and won’t support spineless politicians who run on such a cowardly platform: Hey, look at us, we got us out of the middle east - by surrendering in the middle of a victory.
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:38 amHe doesn’t have that kind of power. Nice threat though..I mean who but a Dhimirat would think of surrendering when victory is near at hand? Time to get out the tar and feathers.
What’s his name again? Opey? Wasn’t that Sheriff Andy’s boy?
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:45 amTheir actions remind me of a desperate 3 year old who’s been told they can’t have candy in the grocery check out line. Their world is falling apart around them and they are comically grasping at straws.
Smearing Bill O’Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, now this. I say, hold onto your horses folks - it’s just starting to get good. Why get all bent out of shape when they are in a full-tilt self-destruct mode? This last week has given me a serious resurgence of hope for the ‘08 election.
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:12 amOnly fucking fitting Murtha and Harkin (I believe that’s him) are in the picture.
G-d damn these traitors …
The Soviet party in this country can’t self-destruct fast enough for the good of us all.
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:25 amAnd is anyone surprised that this jackass would propose this action? With Jack Murtha poking him in the ass, Obey was all mouth. Give it up demassess. W will veto anything you do in this regard. These demassess are the worst group of legislators to come along in the history of this great country. They have accomplished absolutely zero, with the exception of bolstering our enemies.
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:30 amAlright folks, now we know the Democrats are at the end of their rope here.. WOW! General Patton is spinning in his grave right about now at the fact our government is retreating from a war that we are winning..This is unprecedented in Americas history, they will go down in the history books as a bunch of traitorous cowards..Constantly bashing our President, questioning the intellect of a man who beats them at their own game every time they challenge him
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:31 amThe defeatocrat mantra:
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:34 amWhen in doubt cut and run and hike up taxes too.
Totally off topic but, I just have to ask.
Are we allowed to question their patriotism now?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071003/ap_on_re_us/secessionist_movement_1
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:42 amJust makes you want to ventilate them all…
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:46 amcompletely off the subject, but I just got this great link from Drudge.
http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7156726
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:47 am“These democrats are real patriots”
says ahmedinijad, assad and the taliban…
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:49 amLet me just say this, these democrats will have their true punishment long after we are dust and they will be added to the very short list of true American traitors. Unfortunately they will turn that short list to a very long one.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:21 amLast night a caller who was a VN vet and a leader in the VN Vets against the VN war called into the Mark Levin show totally in support of the GWOT. Man, talk about a guy who has done a 6400 mil shift in his views. What an eye-opening
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:29 amconversation that was. If even the old protestors are comming down on the right side of this war…then the Dhimis are in deep kimpshee come 2008.
As a person from Wisconsin this dirtbag makes me mad.
I guess Joe McCarthy was right when he said we have commies in our gov’t. These demorats are pro-talbian, pro-terrorists, or just plain anti-american. They want USA to fail and they are doing everything they can to make it happen.
With the demorats now attacking talk show host Rush and Savage, this is they last ditch effort to discredit the talk show host that support our troops. They have no substance. They stand for nothing but defeat of America. All they care about is there power and power over the people.
We are winning over and the only place you here any positive is on this site and others like it. I have not heard one postive thing on the communist network tv stations.
GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:33 amI encourage all to write a letter to Harry Reid to let him know that the Americans are aware of his treasonous activities. Go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=370 and let him know what you feel about his unpatriotic actions
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:45 amOf course McCarthy was right, and it appears time will only uphold that.
I honestly can’t understand how President Bush can put up with these people and still maintain a cool temper. Can’t really get anything done if the assholes keep trying to push defeat on you.
No wonder he’s gotten gray over the years of being president. Dealing with traitors without trying them for treason and executing them must be incredibly stressful.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:46 am“…a Democratic plan for responsible redeployment of our troops…”
I wish somebody would force the word “redeploy” OUT of the end-the-war vocabulary list used by the media and Democrats. To a soldier, there’s really only one kind of deployment, and re-deploying is doing it again… not going home, to sit on the couch, and NOT do your job at a state-side duty station, racking up more “dwell” time. And hey, I’m married in the military, this isn’t chicken-hawk talk.
Again and again my friends and I question the logic, what else is an Army and a Soldier for? If only a deterrent, then we’ll see the military shrink and fast, because that’s just what happens when Democrats are in office. We’re trained to do a job, let us do it, and I mean fully do it with intelligent ROE and support.
Redeploy doesn’t mean Army go home to the anti-war crowd and it’s enablers, it means Army go away! This Hawk says FUCK THAT!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:18 amThanks for the email addy for Reid, Texas Larry!
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:26 amI let him have a piece of my mind, the bastard! LOL
“Have you no decency, sir? Have you no shame?”
Does he have the power?
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:54 amAxem:
“Does he have the power?”
Nope, he sure doesn’t. It takes a majority and a veto-proof majority at that, to pass legislation to do that. He hasn’t got a prayer.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:07 pmJenfidel, you are most welcomed. Here is a copy of my email to Mr Reid:
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:31 pm” Mr Reid, As I continue to follow your irresponsible voting and senate sessions, I continue to find your actions and statements against the Iraqi war to be treasonous, unpatriotic and extremely dangerous to our fine troops fighting the Global War on Terrorism. I am ashamed as I read that you and your fellow democrats have now threatened unilaterally to block President Bush’s $189 billion emergency war-funding bill to force a U.S. pullout from Iraq and called for levying a surtax to cover the war costs. I do not know how you and your fellow constituents are able to sleep at night as you again attempt to put our troops in dangers way. I find all your latest efforts to end the war on “your” terms as irresponsible, wreck-less and dangerous. In my mind, your actions and harmful statement represent treason at the highest level and you should be held accountable.” Doubt he will even read it, but makes me feel better and hopefully they will post it on the Congress.org “Letters to Leaders” (sort of an oxymoron assuming that most Demo’s don’t really read appropriations up for vote - read “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said Mrs. Pelosi’s opposition to the tax was “good enough for me.””)