Pork or No Pork? Iraq Funding Bill
President Bush says the Democrats' bill hurts the troops. He's says there's too much pork in the bill.
The Washington Post reports:
The bill provides about $95.5 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as more than $20 billion in new domestic spending for such items as agricultural subsidies, veterans' health care and rebuilding efforts in Gulf Coast states hit by hurricanes two years ago. Among other things, it provides about $3.5 billion in additional funding above Bush's request to address the health care problems faced by veterans and by returning service members wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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To help deal with an expected spring offensive by the Taliban in Afghanistan, the bill adds $1.2 billion to Bush's funding request for military operations in that country. But it also includes such expenditures as $1.3 billion to build levees in New Orleans, $500 million for wildfire suppression, $250 million for milk subsidies, $120 million for shrimp and menhaden fishermen, $75 million for peanut storage in Georgia and $25 million for spinach farmers in California.
I don't see how providing for health care for veterans and the returning troops hurts them. It seems to me it's Bush who's hurting them by threatening a veto. Farmers need help too. What difference does it make which bill their subsidies come in?
I'm not seeing the pork.
Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette, in an e-mail to constituents today, said:
This legislation will spur the government of Iraq to take the lead in addressing the challenges of the Iraqi people. It establishes benchmarks for the Iraqi government. Failure to meet these benchmarks would result in accelerating the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
I voted for this legislation because it is a good-faith compromise that ensures the safety of our troops while definitively changing our course in Iraq. I believe that this plan is the beginning of a strategy by which we can finally bring a responsible end to this irresponsible war.
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