Conditioning the Funds

Conditioning the Funds

The House today begins debate on a simple two paragraph non-binding resolution [pdf] opposing President Bush’s escalation in Iraq. After the speeches this week, the real work of combing through the Bush Administration’s budget begins.

Reports the Washington Post:

Waiting in the wings is binding legislation that would fully fund Bush’s $100 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but add four conditions: Soldiers and Marines could be deployed to Iraq only after being certified as fully trained and equipped. National Guardsmen and reservists could be subject to no more than two deployments, or roughly 12 months of combat duty. The administration could use none of the money for permanent bases in Iraq. And additional funding for the National Guard and reserves must be spent to retool operations at home, such as emergency response.

Facebook
Twitter
Email
Flipboard
Pocket

The House today begins debate on a simple two paragraph non-binding resolution [pdf] opposing President Bush’s escalation in Iraq. After the speeches this week, the real work of combing through the Bush Administration’s budget begins.

Reports the Washington Post:

Waiting in the wings is binding legislation that would fully fund Bush’s $100 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but add four conditions: Soldiers and Marines could be deployed to Iraq only after being certified as fully trained and equipped. National Guardsmen and reservists could be subject to no more than two deployments, or roughly 12 months of combat duty. The administration could use none of the money for permanent bases in Iraq. And additional funding for the National Guard and reserves must be spent to retool operations at home, such as emergency response.

At this stage, Jack Murtha’s Defense Appropriations Subcommittee won’t cut off funding for the war. But the conditions Murtha is proposing will make it very difficult for Bush to keep troops in Iraq for an indefinite period of time.

Thank you for reading The Nation!

We hope you enjoyed the story you just read, just one of the many incisive, deeply-reported articles we publish daily. Now more than ever, we need fearless journalism that shifts the needle on important issues, uncovers malfeasance and corruption, and uplifts voices and perspectives that often go unheard in mainstream media.

Throughout this critical election year and a time of media austerity and renewed campus activism and rising labor organizing, independent journalism that gets to the heart of the matter is more critical than ever before. Donate right now and help us hold the powerful accountable, shine a light on issues that would otherwise be swept under the rug, and build a more just and equitable future.

For nearly 160 years, The Nation has stood for truth, justice, and moral clarity. As a reader-supported publication, we are not beholden to the whims of advertisers or a corporate owner. But it does take financial resources to report on stories that may take weeks or months to properly investigate, thoroughly edit and fact-check articles, and get our stories into the hands of readers.

Donate today and stand with us for a better future. Thank you for being a supporter of independent journalism.

Thank you for your generosity.

Ad Policy
x