Research Briefing

Congressional Democrats Playing Dangerous Political Game With War Supplemental

NANCY PELOSI AND HOUSE LIBERALS PLAY POLITICS WITH WAR SUPPLEMENTAL

TO CONTINUE BINGE SPENDING

Speaker Pelosi Attempting To Provide Political Cover To Liberal Democrats By Splitting War Supplemental Votes. “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday said she would try to pass the Afghanistan war spending bill before the July recess, a piece of legislation that may be split into two to ease passage…. The bill could be divided into two separate chunks — one on essential spending and another on other related and some peripheral issues. This would allow Republicans to vote for the spending and liberal Democrats — who oppose the military’s involvement in the country — to vote against it.” (Jake Sherman, “War Bill Could Clear Next Week,” Politico, 6/24/10)

After Democrats Stalled War Supplemental In Order To Push Domestic Spending Agenda.  “House Democrats have been hoping to use the war supplemental as a potential vehicle for aid to states and schools, a cause championed by Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey. D-Wis.” (“Defense Chief Says Extra War Funding Needed Before July Fourth Recess,” CQ Politics, 6/16/2010)

• Pushing For Billions In Non-War Spending. “The Senate has passed its version of the bill (HR 4899) with money limited mainly to military operations and disaster relief. House Democratic leaders want to add $23 billion for schools and $1.7 billion to retain and hire police officers and firefighters.” (Edward Epstein, “Anti-War Democrats Want Answers Before Vote On Spending Measure,” CQ, 6/24/10)

Republicans “Unified” In Opposition To Binge Spending Supplemental. “The anti-war coalition continues to be a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders, who are trying to find a way to move a war-funding bill over liberal objections and past a Republican Party unified in its opposition to using the must-pass $33 billion measure as a source of domestic spending.” (Jonathan Allen and Marin Cogan, “Obama Losing Hill Liberals On War Strategy,” Politico, 6/25/10)

As Liberal Democrats Try To Use Vote To Change Afghanistan Strategy. “Anti-war House Democrats who object to the Obama administration’s strategy in Afghanistan are hoping to force policy changes next week when a fiscal 2010 supplemental war spending bill is expected to come to the House floor.” (Edward Epstein, “Anti-War Democrats Want Answers Before Vote On Spending Measure,” CQ, 6/24/10)

DEM LEADER ALSO THREATENING FURTHER CUTS TO PENTAGON BUDGET

Rep. Steny Hoyer Says Defense Budget Cuts On The Table. “House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) put the once-sacrosanct defense budget on the chopping block this week by stating that Pentagon spending cannot be excluded from deficit-reduction talks.” (Jared Allen & Roxana Tiron, “Liberal Dems' Battle To Cut Defense Spending Reaches A Turning Point,” The Hill, 6/24/10)

• Hoyer: “Any conversation about the deficit that leaves out defense spending is seriously flawed before it begins.” (Rep. Steny Hoyer, Remarks At Third Way Event, 6/22/10)

Congressional Democrats Now Open To Cutting Pentagon Budget. “A growing number of centrist Democrats say they’re open to trimming Pentagon spending in the face of record budget deficits and mounting public debt. Liberal Democrats for years have called for cuts to the massive defense budget to no avail. Even after Democrats regained control of Congress in 2007, their few attempts at reining in defense spending have proven futile, partly because of opposition from centrist Democrats hawkish on defense issues… Now that opposition is softening…” (Jared Allen & Roxana Tiron, “Liberal Dems' Battle To Cut Defense Spending Reaches A Turning Point,” The Hill, 6/24/10)

BUT DEMS’ BUDGET GAMES COME AT COSTS TO OUR TROOPS

Defense Secretary Gates “Becoming Increasingly Concerned” About Lack Of Progress On Funding. Gates: “I am becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of progress on the supplemental, and strongly urge Congress to complete its work on the request as quickly as possible.” (Committee On Appropriations, United States Senate, 6/16/10)

As Inability To Pass War Supplemental Spending Bill By July 4 Recess Would Impact War Operations. SEC GATES: “I had hoped that it would be done by Memorial Day. We begin to have to do stupid things if the supplemental isn't passed by the Fourth of July recess. We will have to begin planning our -- the money that we have in the overseas contingency fund for the Navy and the Marine Corps will begin to run out in July. We will then turn to money in the base budget for them, causing us to disrupt other programs.” (Committee On Appropriations, United States Senate, 6/16/10)

• Beginning August, Active-Duty Military Pay Could Be Curtailed. SEC GATES: “We could reach a point in August, in early to mid-August, where we actually could be in a position where the money that we have available to us in the base budget runs out and we could have a situation where we are furloughing civilians and where we have active-duty military we cannot pay.” (Committee On Appropriations, United States Senate, 6/16/10)