Democrats could fund Afghanistan, Pelosi says
by Matthew Hay Brown
Congressional Democrats might consider new war funding for Afghanistan before leaving Washington next week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today -- but the majority remains opposed to appropriating any more money for the war in Iraq this year.
Pelosi told reporters this morning that an omnibus appropriations package now being drawn up by House Democrats could include money for at least some defense expenditures.
“There will probably be some level of addressing Afghanistan; some of the domestic concerns about – you've seen the list that the DOD has come up with – we can address those concerns and certainly, perhaps, if more is needed to do something about Afghanistan,” the California Democrat said.
President Bush has asked for $200 billion in emergency war funding for Iraq and Afghanistan, with no strings attached. Pentagon officials, who say have enough money to fund operations into March, have threatened to lay off civilian employees if he doesn’t get it.
House Democrats approved legislation that would have given Bush $50 billion, but required that he begin withdrawing troops by the end of the year. The bill was blocked by Senate Republicans, and Democrats say they won't consider any more funding for Iraq before adjourning for the holidays.
Republicans are against breaking up funding for Afghanistan and Iraq.
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