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Lewis
Again Calls on Democrats to Take Up Clean
War
Funding Supplemental
WASHINGTON
,
D.C.
– Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis (R-Calif)
called on the Democratic leadership of the House to immediately pass a clean war
supplemental spending bill free of extraneous spending and policy riders.
Lewis has introduced a clean supplemental bill (H.R. 6026) that has the
support of over 150 Members of Congress. Lewis’s supplemental is also
supported by the White House.
“It has been 493 days since we first received this supplemental request,
yet our troops are needlessly waiting yet another week or more for funding while
the Democrat majority tries to hash together a patchwork bill containing
billions in extraneous spending that would ultimately be vetoed by the White
House,” Lewis said. “At the end of last week, I was optimistic that we had
made meaningful progress on an acceptable supplemental that would receive
support from the White House. Unfortunately, now it appears we are right back
where we started.”
According to a report released today by the Department of Defense, if
Congress continues to stall on the supplemental request, funding for civilian
military employees will run dry by mid-July, forcing those workers into unpaid
leave. Even with another funding transfer approval from Congress, funds for
active duty military personnel with run out by the end of July – which means
American troops will have to continue to work to protect the country, but
without pay.
“This war funding was needed months ago, not weeks from now. The
Democrat majority is sending a terrible message to our troops by continuing this
charade, and it will undoubtedly affect their morale. Congress should be
supporting their progress and hard work, not dangling their funding around on a
string.”
Almost a month ago, the House and Senate passed two differing versions of
the war supplemental - both with unacceptable policy and spending provisions
that drew veto guarantees from the White House. The House will now have to try
again to pass a war funding bill and send it back to the Senate.
“A clean supplemental bill could clear Congress and the White House in a
matter of days – putting the funds in the hands of our military immediately -
before our men and women in uniform face the prospect of work without pay.”
Lewis continued. “It is unconscionable that the Democrat majority would rather
continue to play political ping-pong with the Senate than let us get this clean
supplemental done.”
The
clean war supplemental funding bill sponsored by Ranking Member Lewis does not
include extraneous spending and war policy provisions. The legislation would
match the President’s request for emergency war funding and includes $178
billion in total spending for the Department of Defense, State and Foreign
operations, and military construction.
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