Bush Asks Congress For $46 Billion More In War Funding

Appropriations Chairman Obey on President’s Iraq Request
October 22nd, 2007 by Jesse Lee

Chairman David Obey of the Appropriations Committee issued the following statement on the nearly $200 billion war funding request the President sent the Congress today:

“It’s amazing to me that the President expects to be taken seriously when he says we cannot afford $20 billion in investments in education, health, law enforcement and science, which will make this country stronger over the long term, but he doesn’t blink an eye at asking to borrow $200 billion for a policy in Iraq that leaves us six months from now exactly where we were six months ago.

“Only this White House would call this progress.

“The President needs to rethink his position on both fronts.”
For the last 5 days the Committee has been sending out press releases looking at the difference between the President and the Congress on appropriations bills. See the releases:

· Healthcare Access: $1.4 billion = 4 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Education: $5.9 billion = 18 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Transportation Infrastructure: $2.4 billion = 1 Week in Iraq (pdf)
· Medical Research: $1 billion = 3 Days in Iraq (pdf)
· Law Enforcement: $1.8 billion = 5 Days in Iraq (pdf)