George Bush got war money and some breathing space
New York. George Bush finally got on Thursday May 24 2007 what he had first demanded on February 5 2007. The Congress voted on Thursday to provide almost $100 billion to pay for the war in Iraq and the military operations in Afghanistan through September. The president welcomed the legislation, which does not set the timetable the democrats wanted, and signed it on Friday. That same day, democrats warned the White House that the war funds bill was only a momentary truce. Despite ceding ground to George Bush, they vowed to keep seeking a change of strategy in Iraq when the Congress starts debating the 2008 budget for the Iraq war in September. “Senate Democrats will not stop our efforts to change the course of this war until either enough Republicans join with us to reject President Bush’s failed policy or we get a new president,” Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, said. “We’re going to keep coming back and coming back,” promised Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chairman of the Democratic caucus. The House of Representatives voted 280-142 to pass the war funding bill, followed by a 80-14 vote in the Senate. Among the democrats voting against the legislation were Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, as well as democratic presidential rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton explained on her website why she voted against the bill. “I fully support our troops, and wish the President had followed the will of the people and signed the original bill we sent which both funded the troops and set a new course of phased redeployment”, she said. “But the President vetoed Congress’s new strategy and so Congress must reject the President’s failed policies”. On February 5 2007, Democrats and the White House began fighting about the funding of a war, which already cost more than $300 billion. President Bush had requested the money and urged the democrats to deliver it promptly. The democrats approved a first measure last month, which introduced a timetable for a US withdrawal from Iraq beginning October 1 2007. President Bush the measure on May 1st, forcing democrats into negotiations with the White House as they did not have the two-third majority to override the presidential veto. Democrats were finally forced to cede ground on war financing. The measure still sets benchmarks for the Iraqi government. It also calls for reports from Mr Bush in July and September about his strategy in Iraq and requires an independent assessment of the performance of the Iraqi government. Democrats also managed to add an amendment to the bill that will increase the minimum wage. US workers who now make $5.15 an hour will see their paychecks go up by 70 cents per hour before the end of the summer. Another 70 cents will be added next year, and by summer 2009, all minimum-wage jobs will pay no less than $7.25 an hour Jean-Cosme Delaloye A French version of this story was published in 24heures ans Tribune de Genève on May 26 2007. CommentsYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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