Army running out of payroll cash, DoD says

[unhappycamper]

Source: Army Times

Army running out of payroll cash, DoD says
By William H. McMichael and Rick Maze - Staff writers
Posted : Tuesday May 6, 2008 20:15:01 EDT

In an announcement that puts troops and their families in the middle of a political dispute, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday that the Army will not be able to pay soldiers after June 15 unless Congress approves an emergency war funding bill.

The claim drew a quick rebuke from Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, who is working on such a bill.

Murtha said there is no threat to military paychecks and that it is inappropriate for the Pentagon to try to involve soldiers and their families in a political dispute over how much money is needed to pay for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and exactly when the money is needed.

However, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell was very clear in a meeting with reporters.

Read more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_emergencyfunding_050608w/

[bowens43]

1. I guess it's time to scale back operations in Iraq. nt

[jmowreader]

2. Gee...where have I heard this one before?

Oh yeah...it was Saint Ronnie when he bankrupted the government! IIRC it was 1987 when Reagan's wonderful fiscal malmanagement came home to roost...even after juggling funds like the guy in the circus who keeps 500 plates in the air, we managed to run out of money before the September payday--which is why soldiers get paid on the first of the month now. (By paying the troops on 1 October instead of 30 September, they were able to push the payday into the next fiscal year, when the new allocation was dropped into the army's bank account.)

The problem here is that September 30 is a LOOOOONG way away.

I've got this WONDERFUL idea: Why don't we hoover Hitler's money out of the Bush family's bank accounts and use THAT to pay the troops?

[SpiralHawk]

6. "...Hoover Hitler's money out of Bush family Swiss Bank accounts..." - BRILLIANT IDEA

It reeks of JUSTICE.

[UpInArms]

3. wasn't the fall of Rome precipitated by the inability to pay its army?

:eyes:

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Too bad. But on the bright side, republicon mercenary army profits are Way Up." - Commander AWOL

"And you also have to factor in the Massive Profits republicon-crony oil companies are hauling in. That's fabulous news for us HAVE MORES. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

[ckramer]

5. Impeach Pelosi!

She's continued supporting the war!

[OKthatsIT]

10. She forced US keep those corporate Supreme Justices, too

because she wouldn't impeach Bush & Cheney. Now we're stuck with them for life!

[acmavm]

7. Oh bullshit. Take some money from the Pentagon slush funds.

There's more than enough going to the killers in this administration, the death mongers will never run out. They're missing so much money that I bet if they looked hard enough they could find a billion or ten.

[Virginia Dare]

8. I'm sure the Cheney's and the Bush's have a few bucks laying around..

perhaps they could cover it for a while.

[OKthatsIT]

9. Confiscating all arms/drugs from rendition jets, ought to cover it

[gratuitous]

15. Didn't the oil companies report making a bit of money last year?

Perhaps, since this whole magilla has been launched for their benefit, they could kick in a couple of months' worth of profits to pay the troops?

Naaaaaaahhh.

[bemildred]

11. Well, time for a bake sale. nt

[Lautremont]

12. "That page has gone AWOL!"

Nice to see the Army paper still has a sense of humour. They should start running Bill Mauldin cartoons again.

[unhappycamper]

13. Try this link:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_emergencyfunding_050608w/

Or if that doesn't work, try: http://www.armytimes.com/

[Overseas]

14. As long as we can still pay Halliburton and KBR. /eom

[davekriss]

16. I think they should immediately impose...

...a 50% emergency income tax on every registered Republican.

[Solly Mack]

17. my ass

[LynnTheDem]

18. BULLSHIT.

Deep stinking bullshit.

[cliss]

19. It's interesting that it's always the TROOPS

who might not get their pay checks. And yet we don't hear anything about Black Water payroll being cut off. I wonder why that is?

U.S. Troops = Pawns

[flashl]

20. K&R

[HuffleClaw]

21. HOW many 'emergency funding bills' is it now?

and for how much money in total?

seriously, i want to know.


this little gambit is new though.

[Orsino]

22. Sorry, no.

It ain't the combat pay that's breaking your budget. Paying our soldiers doesn't have to mean funding a war.

This is just another Administration hostage-taking.

[Grinchie]

23. I have a great idea

They should do what any big coroporation does -- Lay off the soldiers to save money. Then, the officer sould have all the fun driving those MRAPS around all the time.

[jtrockville]

24. Why is our occupation being funded through EMERGENCY bills?

We're in the 6th year of this venture. Does it still come as a surprise to everyone that we funding to continue?

[jtrockville]

25. But payments to Halliburton, KBR, Blackwater... no problem?