Pentagon threatens 200,000 civilian jobs to pay for occupation Congress refuses to fund

[bigtree]

Pentagon Warns of Civilian Layoffs If Congress Delays War Funding
Democrats Are Firm on Link to Troop Withdrawals From Iraq

By Jonathan Weisman and Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, November 21, 2007; Page A03

The Defense Department warned yesterday that as many as 200,000 contractors and civilian employees will begin receiving layoff warnings by Christmas unless Congress acts on President Bush's $196 billion war request, but senior Democrats said no war funds will be approved until Bush accepts a shift in his Iraq policy.

Skirmishing over war funding has continued for nearly a year, but the White House and Congress appear ready to push toward a showdown in the coming weeks. Democratic leaders are convinced that Congress's abysmal approval ratings stem in large part from its inability to force Bush to change his approach in Iraq. But with violence declining in Iraq, Republicans believe they are in an even stronger position to stay the course.

White House and Pentagon officials stress that further delays are already slowing the development of countermeasures for roadside bombs and raising the imminent prospect of idle military maintenance depots, canceled training exercises and shuttered facilities at military bases.


Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that controls defense funding, said the country owes troops "more than just a debt of gratitude. We owe them and their families a new way, a way that leads home."

Now that Congress has approved a huge base budget for the Pentagon of $459 billion, from which funds can be shifted for various needs, Democrats can rightfully assert that there is no immediate funding crisis, said Cindy Williams, a former head of the Congressional Budget Office's national security division. The Pentagon can borrow billions of dollars slated to be spent at the end of the current fiscal year to pay for operations now, she said.


The House last week approved a $50 billion "bridge" to finance the war through the winter, legislation that would require troop withdrawals to begin almost immediately, with a goal of December 2008 for an end to combat operations. Troops could remain to protect U.S. facilities, train Iraqi forces and counter terrorism. The measure also stipulates that only fully trained troops could be deployed to Iraq.

The bill was blocked Friday by a Senate Republican filibuster.

"The money has already been provided by the House of Representatives. If the president wants that $50 billion released, all he has to do is call the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, and ask him to stop blocking it," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman David R. Obey (D-Wis.). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) also blamed Republicans for any lack of money for the war . . .


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/20/AR2007112002010_pf.html

[woodsprite]

1. My Thanksgiving prayers are going to be that the Dems don't cave. n/t

[Flabbergasted]

2. KR.

[whistle]

3. It looks like the U.S. military coup de tête will be coming next

[Bitwit1234]

4. You know what is sickening about this

the democrats did give bush a bill but the republicans won't let it be voted on. What I can't understand is why this is being printed and not the real thing.

[ThePowerofWill]

5. Good!

Let'em start with Black Water.

[bigtree]

7. but, they won't start with Blackwater

They'll pull the rug out from under those folks on the bases who can't afford to lose any ground. Working class, support personnel; mechanics, day care, counselors, food service workers, maintenance workers . . .

[annabanana]

6. This is the club they'll try to beat Congress to death with...

They are holding the troops hostage, and they will terrify the families of the deployed with it.

[bigtree]

8. Where's the money we just gave them?

Billions and billions . . . High priced weaponry which isn't slated to come online for years . . . Billions thrown at private contractors for work that wasn't done . . .

[Disturbed]

9. The MIC demand: FEED ME!!!!

FEED ME!!!

[EFerrari]

10. I saw Mr. Obey saying this. He gave the press McConnell's phone

number and repeated it just to make sure everyone had it. He was great. :)

[simmonsj811]

11. Well those civilian employees

Stage a sit in at the White house.I wonder if it worth it to them protecting there jobs in all? How can they just put peoples lively hoods in the wind like that?? :puke:

[bigtree]

12. It's a direct affront to average Americans who've already paid for this political occupation

many times over, and have told Bush and the rest to end it.

The end run around the will of the American people is enough of an affront; the fact that they chose to target the most vulnerable among their military enterprise is a reflection of their barbarity and insolence toward anyone outside of their privileged cabal. This is gangster shit.

[Solar_Power]

13. Will (D)s bend over again?

[rucky]

14. This is one way to cut the defense budget. n/t