April 3rd, 2007 11:56 pm
US troops will pay if war funding blocked: Bush
(AFP) -- President George W. Bush lashed out at US lawmakers Tuesday, warning that a fight over war funding will only hurt US troops in Iraq and scolding Congress for going on holiday despite unfinished business.
If Congress does not approve a war funding bill in coming weeks, "the price of that failure will be paid by our troops and their loved ones," Bush told reporters.
"The bottom line is this: Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front line also means that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines," Bush warned.
"And others can see their loved ones headed back to the war sooner than they need to. That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it is unacceptable to the American people."
Bush renewed his vow to use his presidential powers to veto a bill which ties funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a timetable to end the US presence in Iraq.
Monday, Senate Democrats raised the stakes in the bitter fight, unveiling a new bid to cut off nearly all funding for the Iraq war after March 31, 2008 if Bush vetoes the bill they plan to submit to the White House.
The date was set as a goal for withdrawing most combat troops in the 122 billion war budget bill passed by the Senate.
The measure, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Russ Feingold, would permit funding only for operations against Al-Qaeda, training and equipping Iraqi troops, and protecting US personnel and installations.
But Bush hit out at US lawmakers for being irresponsible, and urged Congress to make good on its pledges of support for US troops.
"Congress's most basic responsibilities (are) to give our troops the equipment and training they need to fight our enemies and to protect our nation. They're now failing in that responsibility," he said.
"Now they have left Washington for spring recess without finishing the work. Democrat leaders in Congress seem more interested in fighting political battles in Washington than providing our troops what they need to fight the battles in Iraq."
Democrats plan to officially unveil the new legislation on April 10 when the Senate returns from its Easter break.
Senator Hillary Clinton, who is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2008 presidential election, urged supporters to petition Bush to drop his veto threat.
"The American people have had enough of the president's failed strategy in Iraq," read the message on Clinton's presidential campaign website.
"Join Hillary in telling him to listen to the will of the people and to Congress, withdraw his veto threat, and begin phased deployment of the troops out of Iraq."
Reid said Monday he would aim to bring the bill back before Senate if the president were to veto it, and Feingold told supporters via email: "Our bill funds the troops, it just de-funds the war."
It is a high-stakes poker game. Democrats who swept to power in November's election still lack the large majorities in the two-chamber Congress needed to overcome a Bush veto, and they are depending on widespread fatigue over the war to keep the public on their side.
The White House is also playing to the public, declaring that Congress is giving the enemy a timetable to take over.
Negotiators in Congress are spending the current recess reconciling the House and Senate versions of the budget bill so a compromise version can be sent to Bush's desk for signing.
The House version of the war budget contains a withdrawal deadline of August 31, 2008.
Vice President Dick Cheney warned on Monday the United States faced defeat in Iraq if Democrats succeed in imposing withdrawal.
"When members of Congress speak not of victory but of time limits, deadlines, or other arbitrary measures, they're telling the enemy to simply watch the clock and wait us out," he said.
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