Democrats Link Non-War Money To Military Funding Bill

[Hissyspit]

Lousy headline.

http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6207135

Democrats link pet causes to troop plan

(Capitol Hill-AP) March 9, 2007 - Democrats seeking votes for their Iraq-withdrawal plan have stuffed the military funding bill it's in with billions of dollars for domestic pet projects.

Some critics say Democrats are simply being opportunistic by using a must-pass measure for funding US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to carry items that can't advance as easily on their own.

At the same time, Democratic leaders are trying to increase support for setting deadlines for ending US military combat in Iraq, which they've made part of the larger legislation.

Democrats appear unwilling to approve the bill's $100 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan without devoting considerable sums of money to the home front.

Already, money in the bill not directly related to the war exceeds $20 billion.

[rainbow4321]

1. Housing shortage, lack of dental clinics and youth centers

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=44193

But the funding is now included in this year’s supplemental war request, which links the money with plans to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq by Sept. 1, 2008. The money had been trimmed from the fiscal 2007 federal budget in February.

Last month, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told a Senate panel that without the money, nearly 5,000 soldiers headed to Georgia’s Fort Benning from overseas locations will face housing shortages, and another 26,000 soldiers headed to Texas’ Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston won’t have enough dental clinics and youth centers.

On Thursday, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., said party leaders decided to include the money in the supplemental request to make sure military leaders had the money available this year. Pentagon officials have said if they don’t receive the money by this summer it could delay some planned moves from Europe back stateside, as troops rotate out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

But Army officials have said they need the supplemental funds much sooner — by the end of April at the latest — to make sure soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have the equipment and support they need to continue the fight.

[mmonk]

2. Smart move.