December 3, 2007

Reid: Bush Refuses To Work With Democrats To Address Critical Needs At Home And Abroad

Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today in response to President Bush’s remarks this morning:

“We could have already given our troops what they need in Iraq and funded our critical needs at home if not for the stubborn refusal of President Bush and his Republican enablers to work with us.  President Bush fails to grasp that the way to get things done for the American people is by sitting down to negotiate our differences, not by posturing from the Rose Garden.  The more he issues these reckless veto threats and mischaracterizes our efforts, the more evident it becomes that President Bush is not interested in addressing America’s priorities.”

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Reminder to President Bush: Democrats Tried to Give Our Troops $50 Billion in Emergency Funding – Blocked by Bush Republicans

Despite the rhetoric from President Bush and Bush Republicans in Congress, Democrats tried to provide $50 billion for troops in Iraq, while calling for a change of course in Iraq. But this important funding was blocked by Bush Republicans. Democrats will continue to provide for our troops while calling for a change of course in Iraq.

Democrats Tried to Give DOD $50 Billion for War Funding, While Requiring Accountability and a Change of Course in Iraq. The majority of Senators, including 48 Democrats, four Republicans and one independent voted to proceed to a bill that would appropriate $50 billion in emergency supplemental funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal 2008. The bill would require troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq within 30 days of enactment, with a goal of withdrawing most troops by Dec. 15, 2008. [Senate Vote #411, HR 4156, 11/16/07; CQ Floor Votes]

• But Bush Republicans Carried Water for the President and Blocked Bill to Fund Troops and Change Course in Iraq. “Senate Republicans on Friday blocked a $50 billion bill by Democrats that would have paid for several months of combat but also would have ordered troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin within 30 days. The measure, narrowly passed this week by the House, also would have set a goal of ending combat in December 2008. The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance.” [Associated Press, 11/17/07]

• The White House Complained About Not Getting Funding, But at the Same Time Said President Would Veto the Funding Bill. “I talked a little bit about this at the gaggle this morning, but I'm going to -- as we saw now, the votes in the Senate this morning, Congress has now left for a two-week vacation without appropriating the necessary funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once again, they tried to pass a bill that provides incremental funding, tries to micromanage the war from the halls of Congress. It includes an arbitrary withdrawal date, an aim that has absolutely no relevance to the significant successes we're seeing on the ground in Iraq. They also know that such a bill will be vetoed, should it ever come to the President's desk. They know this because we've been through this dozens of times now with votes on withdrawal from Iraq.” [White House Press Briefing, 11/16/07] 

• Bush Signed $459.3 Billion Defense Spending Bill Just Three Weeks Ago.  “The Pentagon will have more than $2.4 billion to spend on Sikorsky-built helicopters this fiscal year under legislation that President Bush signed into law Tuesday. The president signed the $459.3 billion defense spending bill and vetoed a $215.4 billion education and health spending bill at the White House Tuesday morning before heading to Indiana where he blasted the Democratic-led Congress as spendthrifts.” [Connecticut Post, 11/14/07]

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