thedrifter
04-09-07, 06:23 PM
Pass war funds quickly, chiefs urge Congress
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 9, 2007 18:36:54 EDT
Further delay in congressional approval of money to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the rest of the fiscal year will have a profoundly negative impact on current combat operations and disrupt the training of follow-on forces, the four-star leaders of the nation’s military branches said in an April 2 letter to nine key members of Congress.
The “16-star letter,” signed by Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Corps Gen. James. Conway, asks Congress to “expeditiously” pass the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental spending bill.
The House and Senate have approved their respective versions of the bill. Each would grant the Pentagon an extra $105 billion through September, with about $93.4 billion for direct and indirect costs of the wars. But a compromise version has yet to be considered. And both versions contain deadlines for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, which President Bush has promised to veto, making a quick resolution unlikely.
The Pentagon formally asked for the money in late February.
Failure to quickly pass the supplemental, the four service chiefs wrote, will force them to take “increasingly disruptive measures” in order to sustain combat readiness, and will have a “profound” impact on readiness and quality of life. It will force spending restrictions that will require the reprogramming of billions of dollars — a “short-term, cost-inefficient solution that wastes our limited resources.”
Spending restrictions will, in turn, “delay and disrupt our follow-on forces as they prepare for war, possibly compromising future readiness and strategic agility,” the chiefs wrote. They added that the restrictions “increase the burden on service members and their families during this time of war.”
The letter echoes what military leaders have been saying for weeks. At a March 22 news conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates listed specific cuts the Army would be forced to consider in the coming months.
If the supplemental is not passed by April 15, Gates said, the Army, which has the majority of the forces in Iraq, could have to curtail and suspend home-station training for National Guard units, slow the training of units headed to the wars, stop paying for facilities upgrades at home bases, and stop repairing gear needed for pre-deployment training.
If May 15 came and went without passage, Gates said, even more devastating cuts could result, including a slowdown in depot repair work, slowing brigade combat team training, which would force the extension of units in theater, and implementing a civilian hiring freeze, among other moves.
No action is likely this week, as the House remains in recess. Some House Republican leaders are urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to cancel the congressional recess this week and get lawmakers back to work negotiating a final version of the supplemental. Pelosi’s office has not yet responded.
The $93.4 billion breaks down, according to the Defense Department, as $39.3 billion for combat operations; $25.7 billion for research and systems aimed at defeating improvised explosive devices, military intelligence and other items; $10.9 billion to accelerate the “modularizing” or creation of new brigade combat teams and increase the overall size of the Army; $13.9 billion for reconstituting or replacing equipment; and $3.9 billion for “non-DoD classified” funding.
Both versions of the spending bill also contain demands for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The Senate’s version calls for pulling combat troops out by March 31, 2008, although it is unclear what would happen if that didn’t take place.
The House version contains multiple benchmarks, starting as early as July 31, mostly contingent on the Iraqi government meeting certain effectiveness criteria. If the full withdrawal hasn’t been completed by August 2008, the House would withhold all funding to keep troops in country.
The letter was sent to Pelosi; Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House Majority Leader; Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the House Republican Leader; Reps. David Obey, D.-Wis., and Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., the chairman and senior Republican, respectively, on the House Appropriations Committee; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate Majority Leader; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate Republican Leader; and Sens. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., the chairman and senior Republican, respectively, on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Staff writer Rick Maze contributed to this report.
Ellie
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 9, 2007 18:36:54 EDT
Further delay in congressional approval of money to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the rest of the fiscal year will have a profoundly negative impact on current combat operations and disrupt the training of follow-on forces, the four-star leaders of the nation’s military branches said in an April 2 letter to nine key members of Congress.
The “16-star letter,” signed by Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, Air Force Gen. T. Michael Moseley and Marine Corps Gen. James. Conway, asks Congress to “expeditiously” pass the fiscal 2007 emergency supplemental spending bill.
The House and Senate have approved their respective versions of the bill. Each would grant the Pentagon an extra $105 billion through September, with about $93.4 billion for direct and indirect costs of the wars. But a compromise version has yet to be considered. And both versions contain deadlines for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, which President Bush has promised to veto, making a quick resolution unlikely.
The Pentagon formally asked for the money in late February.
Failure to quickly pass the supplemental, the four service chiefs wrote, will force them to take “increasingly disruptive measures” in order to sustain combat readiness, and will have a “profound” impact on readiness and quality of life. It will force spending restrictions that will require the reprogramming of billions of dollars — a “short-term, cost-inefficient solution that wastes our limited resources.”
Spending restrictions will, in turn, “delay and disrupt our follow-on forces as they prepare for war, possibly compromising future readiness and strategic agility,” the chiefs wrote. They added that the restrictions “increase the burden on service members and their families during this time of war.”
The letter echoes what military leaders have been saying for weeks. At a March 22 news conference, Defense Secretary Robert Gates listed specific cuts the Army would be forced to consider in the coming months.
If the supplemental is not passed by April 15, Gates said, the Army, which has the majority of the forces in Iraq, could have to curtail and suspend home-station training for National Guard units, slow the training of units headed to the wars, stop paying for facilities upgrades at home bases, and stop repairing gear needed for pre-deployment training.
If May 15 came and went without passage, Gates said, even more devastating cuts could result, including a slowdown in depot repair work, slowing brigade combat team training, which would force the extension of units in theater, and implementing a civilian hiring freeze, among other moves.
No action is likely this week, as the House remains in recess. Some House Republican leaders are urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to cancel the congressional recess this week and get lawmakers back to work negotiating a final version of the supplemental. Pelosi’s office has not yet responded.
The $93.4 billion breaks down, according to the Defense Department, as $39.3 billion for combat operations; $25.7 billion for research and systems aimed at defeating improvised explosive devices, military intelligence and other items; $10.9 billion to accelerate the “modularizing” or creation of new brigade combat teams and increase the overall size of the Army; $13.9 billion for reconstituting or replacing equipment; and $3.9 billion for “non-DoD classified” funding.
Both versions of the spending bill also contain demands for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The Senate’s version calls for pulling combat troops out by March 31, 2008, although it is unclear what would happen if that didn’t take place.
The House version contains multiple benchmarks, starting as early as July 31, mostly contingent on the Iraqi government meeting certain effectiveness criteria. If the full withdrawal hasn’t been completed by August 2008, the House would withhold all funding to keep troops in country.
The letter was sent to Pelosi; Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the House Majority Leader; Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, the House Republican Leader; Reps. David Obey, D.-Wis., and Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., the chairman and senior Republican, respectively, on the House Appropriations Committee; Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate Majority Leader; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate Republican Leader; and Sens. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., the chairman and senior Republican, respectively, on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Staff writer Rick Maze contributed to this report.
Ellie