Supplemental Appropriations

Below is a copy of a letter sent to me by my Congressman. I think it is a good summary of the latest $124 billion dollar supplemental that is going up this week. Congress is trying to exercise some of its rights under the War Powers act and threating to withhold some targeted funds.

I think it is useful to know how your money is being spent. As usual, you will see that there a all sorts of things in this bill that have little to do with war. They are trying to address everything in one go. It is also proof that we are living beyond our means. If you have to pass supplementals, it means you are over-spending on the assigned budget. Somebody better start figuring out how to make more realistic annual budgets.

Congress is currently debating a way out of Iraq. The debate comes with President Bush's request for "supplemental funding" to pay for our presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Because the Administration did not request sufficient funds for Iraq and Afghanistan last year, the House and Senate must act now on this supplemental funding bill simply to keep our troops equipped and fed.

The current debate and votes are over the best way to put leverage on the president to get us out of Iraq. The House will take the first floor vote on the bill this week. Because there have been so many conflicting reports about the content of this bill, I wanted to lay out the basics and encourage your response.

Like previous supplemental funding bills this bill includes funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But what makes it different from past Iraq funding bills is that it is the first supplemental funding bill with a date certain for troop withdrawal. As drafted, the president has said he would veto the bill.

Bill Title: "U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act."

Summary: The bill contains $95.5 billion for Iraq and includes benchmarks that require U.S. troop withdraw by August 2008 at the latest. In addition the bill contains funds for Afghanistan, veterans health care, domestic homeland security and agriculture disaster assistance, as well as language to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 over two years.

Total price tag: $124 billion

Iraq benchmarks:

By July 1st, 2007 the president must certify that Iraq is making meaningful and substantial progress in meeting the following political and military benchmarks:

1. That the Iraqi government is making "substantial progress in delivering necessary Iraqi Security Forces for Baghdad"

2. That the Iraqi government is making substantial progress in meeting its commitment to pursue reconciliation initiatives:

a. Redistribution of oil income

b. Laws to allow local elections

c. Reform the de-Baathification process

d. Allocation of Iraqi revenues for reconstruction

3. That there is a reduction in the level of sectarian violence

If he does not make this certification, troops must begin immediate redeployment and U.S. troop involvement in the Iraq civil war must be completed by December 2007 (180 days).

By October 1st, the president must certify that Iraqis have achieved key benchmarks. If he does not make this second certification, troops must begin immediate redeployment (withdraw) to be completed by March of 2008 (180 days).

If the president makes both certifications, the Administration must start redeploying (withdrawing) the U.S. Military from Iraq by March 1, 2008, and complete the redeployment by August of 2008 (180 days).

Enforcement of benchmarks:

50 % of international economic support and international narcotics and crime funds within the bill shall be withheld until the president makes a certification to Congress.

Troop Readiness and Length of Deployment

1. Troops cannot be sent overseas unless the chief of the military department has certified to Congress that the troops are "fully mission capable"

2. If a U.S. unit is not "fully mission capable" the president must explain why the unit's deployment to Iraq is necessary.

3. Marines cannot be deployed for longer than 210 days

4. Army forces cannot be deployed for longer than 365 days

5. All troops are required to have one year of rest between deployments.

Troops that remain in Iraq after redeployment can only be there to:

1. Protect diplomatic facilitates

2. Serve in diplomatic roles

3. Engage in targeted military actions against al Qaeda

4. Training members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

Non-Iraq related emergency funding items in the bill include:

$1.2 billion to fight al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan,

$4.5 billion dollars to end the disgraceful neglect of troops and veterans, focused on traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and improving our military hospitals and veterans hospitals,

$1.4 billion to fully cover the shortfall in funds for the Basic Allowance for Housing for men and women in uniform and their families,

$3.1 billion to fully fund 2007 needs for Base Realignment and Closure,

$2.6 billion to address domestic homeland security needs including aviation, port, container and border security,

$1 billion for pandemic flu preparedness, to begin the purchase of vaccines needed to protect us from a global pandemic.

$2.9 billion of additional funding for Gulf Coast recovery efforts (Hurricane Katrina),

$735 million to eliminate shortfalls in the State Children's Health Insurance Program,

$400 million to partially restore cuts in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP),

$500 million for Wildfire Suppression activities at the Forest Service and Interior Department,

$3.7 billion for an agriculture disaster program, including assistance for California citrus and spinach losses.

Language from a previously passed bill, H.R. 2, to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over two years.