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House Votes to Fund Obama's War Surge
WASHINGTON - Months behind schedule and stripped of money for domestic stimulus programs, legislation to fund the troop surge in Afghanistan was sent to President Barack Obama on Tuesday after disgruntled Democrats failed to block it.
U.S. President Barack Obama makes remarks about the leaked Afghan war documents in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, July 27, 2010. (REUTERS/Jim Young) Democratic leaders had to rely on Republican support to pass the almost $59 billion measure to fund Obama's additional 30,000 troops in Afghanistan and other programs. The final vote was 308-114. Twelve Republicans and 102 Democrats opposed it. (How did your Congressman vote? full roll call here)
Pentagon leaders have warned that money to fund the troops could run out as early as Aug. 7, prompting the House, which is leaving at the end of the week for its August recess, to accept the pared-down Senate version of the legislation.
Last week the Senate rejected a larger, House-favored bill that would have included billions of dollars to help keep teachers on the job, provide aid for college students and enhance border security.
With the new war spending, the total amount of money that Congress has allotted for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan surpasses $1 trillion.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., said he was torn between his obligation to bring the bill to the floor and his "profound skepticism" that the money would lead to a successful conclusion of the war in Afghanistan.
Even if there were greater confidence in the Afghan government, he said, "it would likely take so long it will obliterate our ability to make the kinds of long-term investments in our own country that are so desperately needed."
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., cited recently released classified documents he said revealed some of the corruption and incompetence of the Afghanistan government.
"We're told we can't extend unemployment or pay to keep cops on the beat or teachers in the classroom, but we're asked to borrow another $33 billion for nation-building in Afghanistan," he said. "I think we need to do more nation-building here at home."
Obama urged passage of the war-funding bill, saying in a Rose Garden statement that it was needed "to ensure that our troops have the resources they need and that we're able to do what's necessary for our national security."
The president also addressed the unauthorized release of the sensitive documents - thousands of battlefield reports - saying he was concerned they "could potentially jeopardize individuals or operations."
Republicans in turn chided Democrats for delaying for months before ending up with the same bill the Senate passed in May. "We've been through all of this wrangling, and for what? All we've created is more uncertainty for our troops in the field, more uncertainty for the Pentagon, and it's all unnecessary," House Republican leader John Boehner said at a news conference.
The president requested the emergency funding last February. After the Senate passed it in May, the House on July 1 approved its own version tacking on more than $20 billion in domestic spending. The Senate last week rejected that approach, falling 14 votes short of what was needed to break a GOP-led filibuster.
The bill includes more than $33.5 billion for the additional 30,000 troops in Afghanistan and to pay for other Pentagon operational expenses, $5.1 billion to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief fund, $6.2 billion for State Department aid programs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Haiti, and $13.4 billion in benefits for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
In addition to stripping out money for teachers and student aid, the final bill does not provide more than $4 billion requested by the administration to finance settlements of long-standing lawsuits against the government, including $1.2 billion to remedy discrimination by the Agriculture Department against black farmers and $3.4 billion for mismanaging Indian trust funds.
"We have a moral and legal responsibility to settle those claims," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., adding that he was "very disappointed" Senate Republicans did not go along with paying the settlements, although the costs would not have added to the federal deficit.
Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
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133 Comments so far
Show AllBillions for the murderous military industrial complex; pennies for the unemployed and other social programs. This is Barry's version of the change we can believe in the United Slaves of Amerikkka!
If Ron Paul (R-Texas) was not so anti-labor, anti-working class, and a closet racist, I would support him.
He gave a speech yesterday on the House floor that was one of the most honest concerning foreign policy I have ever heard coming from a House or Senate member.
When it comes to Paul it is frustrating.
Birdbrain Alley,
You made the observation that Nancy Pelosi apparantly did
not even vote on this bill.
I have been looking at some information on voteview.com which basically has tabulated all roll call votes in the US Senate and House of Representatives from the 1st thru 111th Congresses. It shows that in 2009,Pelosi voted in only 37 out of nearly 900 roll call votes in the House. Rep Kirk (Mass)(with 85 votes) was the only other one voting in less than 100 roll calls. Most other Representatives voted in 300 to 400 roll call votes.
I have no clue why their voting record in 2009 was so low.
Rep. McGovern sez: "We're told we can't extend unemployment or pay to keep cops on the beat or teachers in the classroom, but we're asked to borrow another $33 billion for nation-building in Afghanistan."
***
There's a simple solution: all those teachers and cops need only dissolve their unions, and the money will flow. Of course, they'll get only half as much, but still ...
Damn unions are a drag on the glorious U.S. charge to victory in the race to the bottom.
I want the President of the United States of America to step down and resiegn his position today .
If he refuses to do so, I say that we start a petition for Impeachment, on the grounds of lying and misleading the American people.
When we elected him I think it is safe to say, much of it was because he promised to end the wars, and find peaceful solutions to our problems overseas. I remember that speach. Not to mention Universal Healthcare, No more Big Bonuses for the Banks and other big businesses, We were going to go Green, We haven't seen anything Green, not even much money lately. All the promises that that man made were lies ! If I didn't know better I would swear I voted for a Republican. That ASSHOLE went against his own party to get this war money ?? What the hell is that ?? More Boys dying, more civilians dead, I saw were 70% of Americans said, they didn't like the war in Afghanistan,and 51% didn't like Iraq anymore. Why is he going so bodly past the peoples wishes. What can we do, but get rid of him ! I hear what one of you said about, we shouldn't leave this Country ,because there would be no body left to fix our Country, and I see your point, and yet people are not taking our message to the Streets. That is the only way they will ever listen to us. If we sit at our homes, and do nothing but talk about it, then they won't stop. We must make them stop ! Like that town Bell, California, they found that their town leaders, were all makeing huge amounts of money, and billing everybody in town ,well the town busted them, and two left, and hopefully they are all in some trouble, but the point is we must bust these people, and make some new rules. We must start to do something. Otherwise it is a Smart idea, to get out of this Country. Some shit is gonna happen here if we keep War Mongoring, and Killing and Stealing for OIL...Plus there are all these Americans, that are so ignorant, they want us to be in the wars, they want us to drill and kill, no matter what. We just might have turned into a very Bad Country, with lots of Srewed up People and if that's the case, what can we do if half the Country wants all these bad policies to continue. We must Fight !
The reason we didn't get anything done with Bush is lots of people liked him. It's true you can't get things done when most people don't participate. Everybody has to get involved or it doesn't work. Even after the shit started falling apart with Bush which didn't show up until 2005-06 people said give him a chance, the said they would like to drink beer with him...so much of our Country believe in the mindset of Big War, and Big Oil and Little Goverment. Many people don't care if their neighbors die because they didn't have money for Health insurance. They think we should Nuke the Middle East and killem all ! These people will never think I'm right they love to hate.The only illigal immigrants people worry about are Mexicans so they should just say it, they hate Mexicans, and are afraid they are taking over our Country. They don't even like the legal Mexicans. Most Good Christian White people think very differant than I do. It is truley an up hill battle when half the people in my Country really aren't very nice, and the other half think it is useless to try.
How well did the last petition for impeachment go? Remind me...
"Plus there are all these Americans, that are so ignorant," Did you know that they feel exactly the same about you? The only way to move forward is to convince people you are right, not call them stupid...
I agree, that's why I called them ignorant, that is not the same as stupid. I am sure you know that ignorant just means they are not educated, or informed on the info whatever, or mislead by their Leaders, but not stupid, there are very smart people in the Republican party, but they play on the Ignorance of their constiuants.
Also I know Impeachment didn't work with Bush, but I don't remember any Real attempt to Impeach him. People talked about it, but no one did anything about it. Just like now ! So we can all act like this whole thing is unbeatable, and throw our hands in the air, and knock people down that try, and we will have the same results as last time. Nothing done Bush won !!
Bring America Back !!!!
****In this pix, in the background, does that banner say:
Mission Accomplished--or is The Prez gonna hang that one when , in his re-election year--the Saviour claims to be the one who brings our Johnnies come marching home ????
****Since all else in his Administration is a total failure,
my guess is he'll hang his white house hat on all those troops videos rejoining their families and friends, just in time to be home for Xmas, 2012. Betcha ! How nationalistic, how patriotic, how loyal, how exciting, and how voter friendly it will be.
Unfortunately representative Kucinich is fighting the wrong battle on the issue of "boots on the ground in Pakistan" which he calls illegal because of his claim that Congress has not given President Obama the authority to "put the boots there". What puzzles me is that Mr. Kucinich was a co-sponsor of a 1990 case in the Supreme Court which ruled against such claims.
In essence the issue is the following. If congress allocates funding for "boots on the ground in Afghanistan", in the text, implicitly, or by secret agreement, it orders the executive to "put boots on the ground in Afghanistan". The president can refuse to sign the bill that contains the allocation with the argument that he wants a declaration of war with Pakistan or some such thing. That will cause a conflict of governance if the Congress refuses and overrides his veto. On the other hand, if the President signs the bill he acknowledges that the Congress has ordered him to "put boots on the ground in Afghanistan" and he may or perhaps must do so even if it is illegal. Only a court can now declare the execution illegal but who will bring the suit? Moreover, given the composition of the current Supreme Court that court may not even take the case by referring to the 1990 ruling. "We've been there; we've done that already".
The only way that "boots can be removed from the ground in Pakistan" today is for Congress to pass a binding resolution that no more funds may be used to keep the boots there which is the equivalent of demanding their removal. Perhaps such a resolution has a better chance of passing than amendments which demand a timetable for getting all U. S. soldiers out of Afghanistan. If Mr.Obama ignores such a resolution we will have a constitutional crisis of delugic (this is a Palinism/Shakespereanism!) proportions on our hand.
I emailed and called the local office of my representative. I did my part. I expressed my displeasure in his vote for more money for war. By the way, his name is Tim Holden, a blue-ball, NRA-lapper, worthless POS Demorat.
Sorry to see you waste time, effort and money calling a US congressman. Don't do that again. It's worthless.
America... how low can you go?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/07/james_mattis_its_fun_to_shoot.html
We see the guy beside Mattis pursing his lips as Mattis says its a hoot killing people who 'slap their women around' - as if countless millions of Americans, British, Spanish, Germans, French, Australians, South Americans, Indonesians, ETCETERA.... do not!! That guy beside Mattis looked as if he didn't know what kind of expression to put on his face at the words 'its a hoot killing people'. He knew he had better be 'careful' about his expression.
And then we have that ghastly little man Gates trying to excuse this belligerant bully, this killer, this man who LED, but did not lead in the physical fighting, that crime that was Fallujah... That thing called Admiral Michael Mullen stuttered, stumbled his way through his excuses....I hope he reviews the tape often and cringes.
This Beast, Mattis, who has been placed in charge of the powerful army in the middle east.... REPRESENTS AMERICA.
And some are jubliant while others weep for lost honour.
My congresswoman Jackie Speier voted yes on the appropriation when it had the extra $15 billion or whatever it was for domestic issues. Her vote was needed because the GOP all voted no. This time, when the Repubs would vote yes, so her vote wasn't needed, she voted No on the money.
How convenient for her. I don't think this is fooling anyone anymore, though.
Good observation. The Democrats voting against the appropriation are Democratic window dressing to attact progressive/liberal type voters. However, as we saw in the health care sellout bill that was passed, when push comes to shove, the Democratic leadership won't really allow any so-called progressives to actually influence any major decisions aversely.
Nader was right. Obama = Uncle Tom
A disgrace and an embarrassment to the black race. Dr. King and Malcom X were real leaders, Obama? A clown, a house negro.
Obama's simply following Bush's footsteps, his white master. Case closed.
As for America? On its way down. As the most vicious mass-murdering, hydrogen-bomb-dropping Empire in history. Let's just hope China, our next superpower, is not as brutal.
I will say this, while we waste our resources for death and destruction, China has become the number one manufacturer in wind power.
Caspian Sea Oil Pipeline
Yes We Can!
I just coined a new nickname for the guy in the Whitehouse on the Washington Post's site. O'Bushka. O'Bushka wants the FBI to have expanded powers over your Internet use. I often wonder: on inauguration day, does that idiot with the camera still love O'Bushka? Does he really think that O'Bushka is MLK reincarnated?
"House Votes to Fund Obama's War Surge" Idiots led by an Idiot. Of course this will never change no matter who is in the White House or Congress. Idiots all.
Ahhh, the lessor of the two evils......bringing more war, misery and death to the third world, while continuing to use yours and my tax dollars to fund it, rather than much needed social and education funding.......but the question still remains........how many of you will continue to vote for these "lessor of two evils" ........democrats?
and if you still believe in the Obummer, please state 3 things he has done (besides being the first president to appear on a day time talk show as he did today). Wow, can't tell how proud I am of that fact......who gives a crap.