Democrats Criticize Defense Budget - Rumsfeld Defends Separate War Funding

[Khephra]

By Vernon Loeb
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 5, 2004; Page A14


Democrats in Congress took aim yesterday at the Bush administration's proposed $401.7 billion defense budget in what promises to be a contentious election-year debate, faulting Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for trying to hide the cost of the war in Iraq.

In lengthy hearings before the House and Senate Armed Services committees, leading Democrats questioned Rumsfeld's decision to leave the cost of ongoing military operations in Iraq out of the budget, saying they cannot set defense priorities without some estimate for personnel and sustainment costs that could be as high as $50 billion in fiscal 2005, which begins Oct. 1.

Rumsfeld and other administration officials have said they plan to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through a supplemental appropriation to be offered in early 2005, months after the presidential election.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) called the administration's budget proposal "extraordinarily ineffective and misleading" and told Rumsfeld that he has an "obligation to come before us with a detailed estimate of the cost and what you propose to do in the way of covering those costs."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) called the administration's plan to fund the war in a post-election supplemental "inappropriate."

more................

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13976-2004Feb4.html

[bluestateguy]

1. Oh My!

How DARE they criticize the president while we have troops in the field! This president was chosen by God to lead America in the war against Isla... er, terrorism! President Bush should dissolve Congress permanently!

[izzie]

2. Look at your lawn, we are out sides with pitchfork

That is a nightmare if I have every heard one. Tell me the truth do you think the Right Wing would go along? I wonder if they see the harm that would be to them?They do not seem to talk that way, and seem to think they would ride about that mess. I do not understand that thinking.

[IndianaGreen]

3. I am sure many Democrats will vote to dissolve Congress as they...

voted to dissolve the Bill of Rights with PATRIOT Act, or gave Bush a blank check for war as they did with IWR.

No doubt Kerry will say that his vote to dissolve Congress was a vote to protect Congress.

:eyes:

[Snappy]

4. BS

Rummy is a sarcastic, incompetent fool. I watched until I could no longer stand his dumbass grinning.

[Nihil]

6. You'd grin too ...

... if you could hear the KA-CHING of the tills in the background
like he can. It's not his kids that bleed for it but it is his
pocket that the money ends up in.

[dusty64]

5. Its amazing that their

plans to ask for yet ANOTHER $50 billion for their quamire is being virutally ignored. The media knows it will probably be the final nail in this regime's coffin after the outrage following the 87 billion they just received. No wonder it is being seriously downplayed.

[indepat]

7. Rumsfeld has no freakin' obligation to tell the Congress anything:

they'll be told what Rummy feels they need to know when Rummy feels they need to know it! <scarcasm off>

[David__77]

8. They need to press this issue.

They are indeed trying to hide it. This is not normal at all.