WP: Democrats Differ on Iraq Bill's Bite: Murtha Would Give It Fiscal Teeth

[DeepModem Mom]

Democrats Differ on Iraq Bill's Bite
Some See It as a Powerful Statement, but Murtha Would Give It Fiscal Teeth
By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 15, 2007; Page A04

Members of the House and Senate yesterday outlined plans for legislation that if approved would put Congress on record opposing President Bush sending more troops to Iraq and possibly limit funds to allow the entire 21,500 deployment to take place.

Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he is working with a bipartisan group of senators to pass a nonbinding resolution "simply saying that we do not agree that more troops are the answer." Levin said he would not support a fund cutoff. He said yesterday on CNN's "Late Edition" that his approach "will be a very strong message to the Iraqis that they've got to resolve their political differences."

The Bush administration believes it has the funds to support the so-called surge from the fiscal 2007 Defense Appropriations bill, the one money measure passed last year, national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley said yesterday....

Appearing on the same program, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, said he would not limit funds for the troops already in Iraq but would try to put language in the bill carrying supplemental funds for the war that could prevent the final two U.S. brigades from going over in April and May.

His vehicle would be the roughly $100 billion in supplemental funds for the war that the White House has said it would send Congress in February. Murtha said he would use hearings on that legislation to show there are no reserve U.S. troops available in case of conflicts with Iran or North Korea....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/14/AR2007011400816.html

[halobeam]

1. didn't Hadly and Bush state they had enough funds to get them there.

and then Hadley said once they are there, Congress wouldn't stop funding them?

I'm done. Good night.

[w4rma]

2. Murtha is out front and speaking. This is why he should be Majority Leader. (nt)

[msongs]

3. stupid carl levin needs to be sending messages to der Bushler nt