The Democratic chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee said today that he was ready to go to the mat with President Bush over further funding for the war in Iraq.
Rep. David Obey (D-WI), who spoke today with Reps. John Murtha (D-PA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), says he has "absolutely no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo." He laid our three conditions for the White House to meet:
1. Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.
2. Ensure that troops would have adequate time at home between deployments as outlined in the Murtha and Webb amendments.
3. Demonstrate a determination to engage in an intensive, broad scale diplomatic offensive involving other countries in the region.
Read his full statement below:
In addition to the regular defense appropriation request of $463 billion, the President is asking Congress to appropriate an additional supplemental request of almost $200 billion - a blank check to finance U.S. activities in Iraq - and he clearly expects that request to be repeated for years to come.
"I would be more than willing to report out a supplemental meeting the President's request if that request were made in support of a change in policy that would do three things.
1. Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.
2. Ensure that troops would have adequate time at home between deployments as outlined in the Murtha and Webb amendments.
3. Demonstrate a determination to engage in an intensive, broad scale diplomatic offensive involving other countries in the region.
"But this policy does not do that. It simply borrows almost $200 billion to give to the Departments of State, Defense, Energy, and Justice with no change in sight.
"As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo.
"I also have no intention of acquiescing in a policy that will result in draining the treasury so dry that it will result in the systematic disinvestment of America's future.