As American troops fight to secure our freedom in a very dangerous part of the world, the U.S. House of Representatives, with the full support of Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), voted to pass an emergency war spending measure to ensure our military has the resources it needs to fulfill this important mission.

The House Appropriations Committee, on which Wamp serves, unanimously passed the spending measure on Tuesday of this week with a vote of 59 to 0. 

"When our brave men and women in uniform are fighting in the Middle East to defeat terrorism and protect our way of life, we must give them the resources to do their jobs with maximum effectiveness and protection of their lives.  This bill will provide for the cost of Operation Iraqi Freedom in addition to providing support to our coalition forces. Needed Homeland Security measures, such as funding the Department of Homeland Security and first responder programs, are also included in this legislation," said Wamp.

President Bush has requested the funds by April 11, and the U.S. Senate is scheduled to approve its version of the bill this week.

The House bill fully funds the President's request of $62.4 billion for military activities in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The balance of the $77.9 billion dollar emergency spending bill is for Homeland Security, coalition forces and assistance to cooperating nations. 

The Chattanooga Congressman added, "Although this bill is expensive, we can not put a price tag on our freedom or on our support for the brave men and women who have volunteered to stand between this grave threat and our civilian population."