Bush On The Air: Firings And Troop Funding
March 24, 2007, 8:48pm
Two controversies — the firing of U.S. attorneys and the war in Iraq — preoccupied President Bush this week, and he addressed both of them in his weekly radio address. In both cases, he characterized his ideas as “a reasonable way forward” and rebuked Congress for rejecting them.
“Earlier this week, my administration presented to Congress a reasonable way forward that balances the constitutional prerogatives of the presidency with Congress’ interest in learning more facts behind the decision to replace eight of the 93 U.S. attorneys,” Bush said of the dispute over the attorney firings. “Members of Congress now face a choice: whether they will waste time and provoke an unnecessary confrontation, or whether they will join us in working to do the people’s business.”
As for the war in Iraq, Bush decried the House’s vote for an emergency spending bill that would provide more money for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq but also mandate their withdrawal by Sept. 1, 2008.
“By choosing to make a political statement and passing a bill they know will never become law, the Democrats in Congress have only delayed the delivery of the vital funds and resources our troops need. The clock is running. The Secretary of Defense has warned that if Congress does not approve the emergency funding for our troops by April 15, our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions — and so will their families.”
Rep. Paul Hodes of New Hampshire, the president of the House Democrats’ freshman class, defended the legislation in the Democratic radio address. He said it is proof that Democrats “are holding [Bush] accountable for a new direction in Iraq” after four years of failed policies there.
“Last November, people in New Hampshire and across the country voted for change,” Hodes said. “They voted for a new Congress that would stop acting as a rubber stamp for this president and begin confronting the problems and challenges facing our nation. And no challenge is more important than bringing our troops home from Iraq as quickly and responsibly as possible.
“This week, the Democratic Congress took a significant step in that direction. We hope the President will respond by listening to the American people. We hope he will work with Members of Congress from both parties to bring this war to an end.”
Categories: Military, Iraq, White House, Terrorism, Weekly Radio Address, Budget, Oversight
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