WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2007
Bush Pushes Congress On War Funding Bill
Calls On Lawmakers To Wrap Up Unfinished Business Before Holiday Recess
-
President Bush makes a statement on legislative priorities, Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
-
Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
-
Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
Taxes, spending, paying for the war, energy, farm subsidies and wiretapping top a crowded list of items Congress will consider during the three weeks.
"The end of 2007 is approaching fast and the new Congress has little to show for it," Mr. Bush said in the Rose Garden. "I call on members to use the time left to support our troops, and to protect our citizens, prevent harmful tax increases and responsibly fund our government."
Charging that Congress has nearly a year's worth of unfinished business to address in just a few weeks, Mr. Bush put the $196 billion war funding bill at the top of his priority list, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
"It's unconscionable to deny funds to our troops in harm's way because some in Congress want to force a self-defeating policy," Mr. Bush said.
Democrats dismissed Mr. Bush's comments.
"Democrats want to work with the president," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "yet he continues to engage in the same tired rhetoric that does not serve the best interests of the American people."
Partisan feelings are especially intense and fights are brewing on multiple fronts between Democrats who control Congress and Mr. Bush.
The Democrats' goal is to make sure they don't stumble over must-do legislation funding government agencies and programs, and preventing millions of upper middle income taxpayers from falling prey to the alternative minimum tax, or AMT.
They vow to bring the appropriations process to a close, even at the price of giving in to Mr. Bush's strict funding levels for domestic programs like education, grants to local governments and energy research. But many Congress-watchers thinks it's just as likely Congress will limp home for Christmas having passed yet another temporary stopgap funding bill.
"If they send me an irresponsible spending bill, I will veto it," Mr. Bush said.
Mr. Bush insisted that Congress pass his war funding request; he is expected to devote much of December to attacking Democrats for trying to condition additional money on a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. His war-related requests so far this year have totaled almost $200 billion.
Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, issued a statement challenging Mr. Bush's priorities.
"A sagging economy has left American families struggling on the home front while thousands of American troops are risking their lives on the battlefront," Emanuel said. "This morning, the president called on Congress to approve plans for more the same. The status quo might be acceptable to the president, but this Congress will insist on a new direction."
Democrats say troops will get the needed money for current operations, but a change in administration policy is necessary to ensure U.S. forces don't stay in Iraq indefinitely.
"We're going to continue to try to see if we can't get in place a timetable for the removal of most of the troops that we have there," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said on CNN's "Late Edition." "Congress should be able to state a goal for the removal of most of the American troops without a veto threat."
Congress also must pass a temporary fix to the AMT to prevent 20 million taxpayers from getting hit with tax increases averaging $2,000. House Democrats insist on paying for the AMT fix with revenue increases elsewhere. Republicans have promised to block that approach in the Senate. The common wisdom holds that any AMT fix will ultimately add to the deficit.
Quote
Even if the AMT is fixed, Democrats are likely to take a political hit. Delays in addressing the minimum tax are keeping the IRS from preparing tax forms and computer programs for the upcoming filing season, which means million of taxpayers counting on early refunds will be getting them later.The end of 2007 is approaching fast and the new Congress has little to show for it.
President BushDemocrats announced agreement Friday to move ahead with energy legislation that would raise automobile fuel economy standards, increase the use of ethanol as a motor fuel, and boost the use of alternative fuels such as wind and solar technology, by electric utilities. If the bill passes and Mr. Bush signs it, the energy reforms would join a slender roster of Democratic accomplishments, including a minimum wage increase and increases in college aid.
Other items on a crowded December agenda include:
With time so precious, leverage is flowing to Mr. Bush, who's armed with both a veto pen and enough Republican allies in the Senate to sustain filibusters against bills they don't like. When legislation - such as the AMT fix - simply has to pass, that leverage gives Republicans the edge in driving the outcome.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 297 Comments
- "Bush Calls On Lawmakers To Wrap Up Unfinished Business Before Holiday Recess"
Leave it to the shrub to ask for more bombs and bullets in time for Christmas.
Posted by ianlou
Leave it to the Dimnowits to put their spin of their stupid point of view. Can''t read either now can you? - Reply to this comment
- "Bush Calls On Lawmakers To Wrap Up Unfinished Business Before Holiday Recess"
Leave it to the shrub to ask for more bombs and bullets in time for Christmas. - Reply to this comment
- %u2014Children''s health care. Negotiations should continue on legislation to expand the State Children''s Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years.
With time so precious, leverage is flowing to Bush, who''s armed with both a veto pen and enough Republican allies in the Senate to sustain filibusters against bills they don''t like. When legislation %u2014 such as the AMT fix %u2014 simply has to pass, that leverage gives Republicans the edge in driving the outcome.
THE DO-NOTHING''S WEIGHTY AGENDA. CAN''T THINK, CAN''T LEGISLATE. DO YOU WANT YOUR COUNTRY IN THEIR HANDS. - Reply to this comment
- Democrats announced agreement Friday to move ahead with energy legislation that would raise automobile fuel economy standards, increase the use of ethanol as a motor fuel, and boost the use of alternative fuels such as wind and solar technology, by electric utilities. If the bill passes and is signed by Bush, the energy reforms would join a slender roster of Democratic accomplishments, including a minimum wage increase and increases in college aid.
Other items on a crowded December agenda include:
%u2014Terrorist surveillance. The Senate could vote as early as this week to renew the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which dictates when the government must obtain court permission to conduct electronic eavesdropping.
%u2014Farm bill. The Senate hopes to finish a bipartisan bill extending farm subsidies and food programs after the legislation bogged down over GOP attempts to add unrelated tax provisions. - Reply to this comment
- Bush said Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson wrote Congress two months ago to urge them to act on an AMT fix. The president said Paulson noted that "putting off the AMT fix could delay $75 billiion worth of tax refund checks."
Even assuming the AMT is fixed, Democrats are likely to take a political hit. Delays in addressing the minimum tax are keeping the IRS from preparing tax forms and computer programs for the upcoming filing season, which means million of taxpayers counting on early refunds will be getting them later. - Reply to this comment
- Wow..196 billion to a pseudo war. And yet he can''''t fund American children''''s insurance..
what a great leader...
Posted by hippychicky
Wow millions of middle class americans facing an increase in their taxes from $2,000-$4,000 and the dimnowits can''t pass a bill to patch the AMT so that needy income tax payers will get their tax returns on time. Ya, know if for the children now, don''t you? - Reply to this comment
- 9/II = CIA false flag op?
Patriot Act, Military Commissions Act = Constitution Burned?
Proposed SB 1959 = Institutionalized hatred and fear?
C''mon, babyboomers - you stopped these same tyrants before, it''s time to act once more.
Remove the traitors before 9/III - Reply to this comment
- Wow..196 billion to a pseudo war. And yet he can''t fund American children''s insurance..
what a great leader... - Reply to this comment
- Let''''s add belief in tight control of the media, use of torture and secret prisons for "security" and increasingly intrusive surveilance of it''''s own citizens as things fascists and consevatives share.
Posted by rafterman1
Are you posting on this site? Has anyone picked you up and interrogated you? Get a life. You are deluded. - Reply to this comment
- Ask yourself why both facists and conservatives of today share this view? No, all you and muddy can do is come up with glowing praises for each other.
Posted by rafterman1
You are unconvincing and irrelevant. You are a clown and paranoid and uninformed soul. You are quite boring and rather delusional. You are just a number of parnoid nitwits who read too much Nazi and Fascist propoganda. Get a life before Stalin gets you. - Reply to this comment
- Quit trying to whitewash what this loser leftist did.
Posted by jowand
The guy''s a fascist, nazi nutjob. He''s hot wired and robotic. He can think only in repetition. Nazi, fascist. That''s it. Nothing else going on in his dimwitted brain. Shame. What a waste of waste. - Reply to this comment
- Point? Duranty''''s rose colored glasses of Stalin still does not change the fact that the Nazis and communists imprisoned thousands of university professors, scientists and journalists, who are seen as a threat to the regimes. Repubs haven''''t done that in this country (yet), but their hatred for these intelligencia is obvious.
Posted by rafterman1 at 10:37 AM : Dec 04, 2007
Quit trying to whitewash what this loser leftist did. - Reply to this comment
- Another favorite righty whipping boy, who committed a crime agaisnt America so egregious that he got...community service!
Posted by rafterman1 at 10:34 AM : Dec 04, 2007
Try Mark Rich biggest tax evader in 50 years, pardoned by Clinton then CLinton gets a 500,000 dollar donation to his library from the guys wife. - Reply to this comment
- I''''m not a Republican, they are Kr*p like the Democrats
Posted by jowand
Term limits. I''ve been saying it for years.
Cut da money!
Posted by jh6379
Cut ya throat. - Reply to this comment
- Sorry you cannnot defend the fact that your party is becoming more and more like the facsists every year.
Posted by rafterman1
Yes, and we have you to thank for guiding us through this difficult time in our history. Get a life, but get mental help first. - Reply to this comment
- Sorry you cannnot defend the fact that your party is becoming more and more like the facsists every year.
Posted by rafterman1 at 10:33 AM : Dec 04, 2007
I''m not a Republican, they are Kr*p like the Democrats - Reply to this comment
- "Those you do not study history are doomed to repeat it."
"Never again"
Posted by rafterman1 at 10:31 AM : Dec 04, 2007
Go look up Walter Duranty Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for the New York Times, a Stalin Bootlicker. - Reply to this comment
- disarmament, nuclear proliferation, WMD issues and other matters. %u201CWe think he is well suited and will do an excellent job,%u201D said one senior official.
Posted by watcher269 at 10:31 AM : Dec 04, 2007
So is Sandy Burglar - Reply to this comment
- Guess who''''s back????
Don%u2019t ever say the Bush administration doesn%u2019t take care of its own. Nearly three years after Paul Wolfowitz resigned as deputy Defense secretary and six months after his stormy departure as president of the World Bank%u2014amid allegations that he improperly awarded a raise to his girlfriend%u2014he%u2019s in line to return to public service.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has offered Wolfowitz, a prime architect of the Iraq War, a position as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a prestigious State Department panel, according to two department sources who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters. The 18-member panel, which has access to highly classified intelligence, advises Rice on disarmament, nuclear proliferation, WMD issues and other matters. %u201CWe think he is well suited and will do an excellent job,%u201D said one senior official. - Reply to this comment
- Jowand, he drinks too much koolaid. The guys a dork.
Posted by mudrose at 10:26 AM : Dec 04, 2007
Thanks for the compliment Mudrose, I owe you one. - Reply to this comment
