Gates Seeks $50 Billion More for War

[Botany]

Source: U.S. News

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will go before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, when he is expected to deliver budget amendments to Congress that will substantially increase the president's 2008 war spending to $200 billion from the approximately $150 billion that the administration initially estimated it would need in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The supplemental funding request is expected to include some $17 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (or MRAP) vehicles, which officials say will help step up production from the 82 MRAPs made in June to some 1,300 a month by December. The vehicles are designed to help deflect the effect of roadside bombs, also known as improvised explosive devices (or IEDs), which remain the biggest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq. The Pentagon has ordered a total of 6,415 MRAPs to date—orders expected to be completed by March.

This week, Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that he plans to attach "strings" to the supplemental war funding bill in an effort to bring troops home more quickly. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican, vowed to fight such measures.

The cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was $173 billion in fiscal 2007.

Read more: http://www.usnews.com/blogs/news-desk/2007/9/25/gates-seeks-50-billion-more-for-war.html

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When will Congress stand up and stop the insainity? The war is a mistake based on
lies and more dead people will not change that.

[Amonester]

1. In his pockets? Or in his offshore bank accounts?

Or in Bush's and/or Cheney's?

[dmosh42]

2. Let's see if the little 'asskissers' in the Senate stand up....

All talk so far....Just plain BS!

[AndyA]

3. The Dems in Congress need to figure out a few things.

1. Bush is officially a lame Duck at this point.

2. The GOP is in bad shape going into the 2008 elections.

3. The GOP will drag the Dems down (and they have been successful so far) unless the Dems stop allowing the Republicans to control the agenda.

Pelosi and Reid are doing a miserable job letting the American people know why things in Congress are the way they are. They need to make sure people know the Republicans are filibustering, blocking, etc.

Congress has an 11% approval rating. And from what I hear, it's about to drop even more. That alone gives Bush some degree of credibility, when he should have NONE.

Congress needs to realize the reason why they are polling so low is because they aren't opposing the GOP, they're just giving us lip service about it, and we're sick of that. The Dems in Congress need to put their foot down and tell the GOP no more bullshit.

[Doctor_J]

5. No media = no message

The media - TV, radio, newspapers, weeklies - are following Rove's orders to the letter. they know that * is despised, mistrusted, and ridiculed, and are hoping to drive down Congress's ratings to stop the bleeding next November. You will never hear the truth until the media comes tumbling down along with the (fascist) government.

[peace13]

6. Congress will hit zero before *ush will.

He still has the crazies in his court and it ain't lonely there! Peace, Kim

[Doctor_J]

4. Might as well go all the way

This occupation is destined to be the death of the US, just as Afghanistan was to the USSR. The sooner it reaches its natural conclusion, the sooner we can get on with the recovery.

[Whoa_Nelly]

7. Am so glad that the money for children's health care can be contributed to the BFEE forever w

:sarcasm:

[saigon68]

8. "BRING EM ON" shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

[peace13]

9. Sad but true. n/t

[jillan]

10. This is the ONLY appropriations bill that should pass

This is for the MRAPs that save soldiers from this:


80% chance the Mraps will save their lives and limbs.

That said, I agree, a timeline for withdrawal needs to be attached to this bill.

[kysrsoze]

12. I understand what you're saying, but respectfully disagree. They should have been bought earlier

Now's the time to pack up and come home. It's over.

[badgervan]

11. Just Say No!

In their fear of looking "weak" on defense, the dems in Congress are consistently caving in to bushcheney's constant requests for more and more insane amounts of money to finance their occupation of Iraq, and their upcoming invasion of Iran. Ironically, by caving in time after time to the chimp, the dems end up looking even weaker!
Stand up to bushcheney - you will be amazed at the support you will receive from us! No more money without a concrete timeline to get out.

[bluestateguy]

13. All Congress has to do is nothing

And you would think that doing nothing would be easy for politicians.

Congress doesn't have to "cut" any funding at all. Just don't appropriate any new money. We gave Bush over a 120 billion over the summer. Oh well, they'll just have to make that money last a little longer. He can always raise private money for the war from his rich friends and the Saudi royal family.

[USA_1]

14. Aren't you glad the money's not for the SSS?

For those who thought that a draft was going to stop Bush's war expansionism, now that you know he'll only go as far as the Democrats take him, aren't you glad there is no draft?




TOLD YOU SO! TOLD YOU SO!

[Javaman]

15. At first I though I would give up if the dems voted for the additional funding...

now I will give up if they even table it.

I know deep down that they will give moron* everything he* wants, but I just won't believe that until I see it.

I've been a democrat all my life, but for the first time ever, I'm now considering a 3rd party.

They have left me.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Remember when the GOP endlessly intoned that you just can't "throw more money" at things.......

and hope that it will make them better. I don't hear many in the GOP talking about THAT now. Just more of the usual unprincipled hypocrisy for the GOP.