(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) today voted for legislation that will provide America’s troops with the tools they need to fight terrorism in Afghanistan and carry out their mission in Iraq. The FY 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Bill (H.R.2346) funds critical military operations, provides our troops will better equipment, strengthens resources for military families, and requires that the Obama Administration carry out strict performance assessments of whether the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan are taking the steps needed to secure their countries.
“We owe it to our troops to ensure that they have all the resources they need to stay safe and effectively carry out their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Altmire said. “We also owe it to our troops to ensure our government is taking a hard look at whether Afghanistan and Pakistan are taking the steps needed to stamp out terrorism and secure their countries. I am proud that this bill does both of these things and also invests in a host of other important initiatives, including improving our military hospitals and bolstering resources for military families.”
The bill also recognizes the sacrifices made by 170,000 servicemembers who have had their tours of duty involuntarily extended by providing them with $500 for every month they served under stop-loss orders since 2001. More than 131,000 members of the U.S. Army; 5,000 members of the U.S. Navy; 8,990 members of the U.S. Marine Corps; and 39,000 of the U.S. Air Force have been held under stop-loss orders since 2001.
