As the House of Representatives moves to vote on the supplemental war spending bill which has moved with leaden speed through Democratic hands, the GOP has come out swinging, accusing the majority of "taking dangerous political potshots at our troops' mission and the president's strategy."
Rep. David Obey, outgoing chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has made clear his unease with the war supplemental bill.
Some of Obey's Democratic colleagues have submitted amendments to the supplemental bill which led Rep. Buck McKeon, top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, to claim any of the amendments "would cripple the President's strategy for Afghanistan."
"Not only would they tie the President's hands, but they send the exact wrong message to our allies and enemies alike at such a critical moment in our efforts in Afghanistan," McKeon said in a statement. "Today our newly-confirmed Commander [Gen. David Petraeus] walked the halls at NATO headquarters, to reassure our allies of our country's commitment to this war. And right now he is heading to Afghanistan to take command of this crucial war. We should stand in unity with him. Yet, we might actually line up and take vote after vote to strip funding from our warfighters before his plane even touches down in Kabul," concluded McKeon.
Here is a summary by McKeon's office of the amendments:
Amendment #3: This amendment, offered by an unknown Member of Congress at this point, would strip all military funding from the Senate's troop funding bill. Amendment #3 would defund all military operations.
Amendment #4: This amendment, offered by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) would only fund the withdrawal of U.S. troops or troop protection (although it does allow for diplomatic and humanitarian activities). Amendment #4 would defund combat operations in Afghanistan and effectively force the immediate withdrawal of U.S. military forces.
Amendment #5: This amendment, offered by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Rep. David Obey (D-Minn.), requires and dictates what should be included in a new National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan; requires the President to submit a timetable for withdrawal; requires an Inspector General report on contactors in Afghanistan; and limits any defense appropriations from Fiscal Year 2011 to solely implement an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan. Amendment #5 would effectively cut off funding for U.S. troops in Afghanistan by ensuring no Fiscal Year 2011 Department of Defense funding could not be transferred or reprogrammed to fund military operations in Afghanistan.
