Posted on 05/15/2008 3:53:02 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Democratic-led House on Thursday rejected more funds to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as many Republicans angry over the majority party's tactics sat out the vote. It did approve more money for the jobless and an expansion of GI education benefits.
In a rapid series of votes on the war funding bill and accompanying components, Republicans withheld their votes in protest, leading to the defeat of the Iraq funding legislation by a 149-141 tally. Nearly two-thirds of the House's Democrats voted against continuing to fund the war.
Democrats then forced through a nonbinding plan seeking an exit from Iraq by December of next year by a 224-196 vote that broke along party lines.
Thirty-two Republicans joined with Democrats on a 256-166 vote to sharply boost education benefits for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans under the GI Bill — despite an accompanying tax surcharge on the wealthy and small businesses — and voted to provide a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits.
The GOP protest kills the war funding component of the bill for now, but it is expected to be revived next week in the Senate.
The White House weighed in again Thursday with a promise to veto the bill over the non-war spending, the new tax surcharge and restrictions on President Bush's ability to conduct the war in Iraq.
A total of 132 Republicans withheld their votes for the troops funding bill in protest, saying the strategy by Democrats to load the war funding measure with veto-bait provisions would unnecessarily delay getting funding to troops in the field.
Both sides accused each other of using the must-pass troop funding bill for political advantage.
"We're playing political games on the backs of our troops — you know it," said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "All this bill's going to do is delay the process for weeks and weeks and weeks while we play political games."
"With today's vote, the Republicans have shown that they are confused and are in disarray," countered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "House Republicans refused to pay for a war they support, and by voting against the GI bill, they refused to support our veterans when they come home."
House action on the bill was the first act in a complicated legislative dance that promises to spill over into June, when the Pentagon will have to send out warnings of possible furloughs to civilian employees and contract workers.
Democrats engineered the three-vote minuet to allow anti-war liberals to vote against funding the Iraq war. Republicans said the whole exercise was a waste of time, given Bush's veto promise.
The add-ons for the unemployed and the new college benefits under the GI Bill represented the price demanded by Democrats for approving Bush's long-stalled request for additional war funding.
The new GI Bill essentially would guarantee a full scholarship at any in-state public university, along with a monthly housing stipend, for people who serve in the military for at least three years. It is aimed at replicating the benefits awarded veterans of World War II and would cost $52 billion over 10 years.
To pay for it and adhere to budget rules requiring new benefit programs not add to the deficit, the Democratic plan would impose a surtax on individuals with incomes above $500,000. Couples would pay the tax on income exceeding $1 million.
"We are talking about people who are making over $1 million to pay a small sacrifice for this war where our military families are paying a huge sacrifice," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
Senators in both parties, however, were balking at the one-half of a percentage point increase in tax rates. At the same time, Republicans and business groups said the plan amounts to an increase in taxes on small businesses that pay taxes at the same rates as individuals.
GOP Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said the Democratic bill "would bust the budget with billions in non-emergency spending but also raise taxes on small business. I can't think of a worse time to implement a tax increase with a weak economy that is struggling to create and grow jobs."
The war spending portion would have provided $163 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year.
The House measure also includes money for foreign aid and military construction projects as well as flood protection around New Orleans and a variety of smaller items.
Besides the GI benefits, Democrats have tacked on a plan to give 13 more weeks of unemployment checks to people whose benefits have expired and 13 weeks beyond that in states with especially high unemployment rates.
Bush also has threatened to veto any bill that ties his hands on Iraq. The House measure would require Bush to begin pulling out troops from Iraq within 30 days once the bill becomes law, with a nonbinding goal of a complete withdrawal of combat troops within 18 months. Senate Republicans are expected to block the provision.
Reuters pulled this earlier.
That headline is DECEPTIVE.
What was defeated was a House amendment to the Senate amendment of this bill, not the bill itself.
This one? It’s on Yahoo where the ap is pulled from as well.
House blocks Iraq war money and sets pullout plan
Reuters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080515/pl_nm/iraq_usa_funding_dc;_ylt=AlzBvmcMpXDrOMhhuSvJD1.yFz4D
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives, in a surprise and largely symbolic move, defeated legislation on Thursday to fund the war in Iraq for another year.
Just more dhimmiecrat treachery. I hope and pray that the citizens of the USA are smart enough not to elect BHO or HRC. If they do, we will have war by the U.S. government against its citizens.
Perhaps they are hoping to confuse?
Isn’t this the same bill containing the amnesty for ags?
Leave it to the despicable liberal socialists to hide bills attached to war funding knowing full well that the bill will be passed. Good for the Reopublicans who stood up for this non sense. I would like to see more from our coservative base like this, it seems like thier hiding and cowering in the corner instead of being the mosquito on the a## of these moronic, self admiring bottom dwellers.
Either way...it’s time to bring a few DhimmiRats up on treason charges. To provide aid and comfort to the enemy by not funding our military amounts to treason and should be treated as such.
Unless, of course, they're willing to go to "re-education camps."
No wonder people think the Democrat party hates the USA. They always take any opportunity available to help the enemy.
I’ve played that out as a scenario, too. And, every time I do, I end up spending hours cleaning the AR, the Mossberg, the 1911A1, and the Dan Wesson... I ain’t goin’ quietly.
The Dems really showed themselves to be against the troops trying to pull this flim flam. The President already promised to veto this junk bill if they sent it to him. Good for the House Pubbies for killing it.
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