Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:29

News Analysis
By Randy Risener
Editor, FDNS

Internal Democratic squabbling combined with partisan jousting is threatening badly needed funds including those for military and veterans’ health care along with other troop support needs.

Democrats are aiming to add billions to President Bush’s request for a $93.4 billion appropriation for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. When supplemental funds for State Department and related aid operations are included the appropriations are around $100 billion.

The additional Democratic sponsored funding is for treating troops with brain injuries, post-Traumatic stress disorders and other health care related operations.

More funds would also be appropriated for training and readiness for forces not presently deployed in war zones.

What could shut down the bill is a three-way political battle.

Congressional sources estimate anywhere from 50 to 60, or possibly more, House Democrats are threatening to vote against the appropriations measure because it does not include provisions aimed at ending the war in Iraq.

On the other side of the aisle Republicans are threatening to vote against it also because of language in the measure being proposed by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) that would block the administration Iraq troop surge by imposing a number of conditions on troop deployments although the bill allows the president to waive those restrictions.

On top of all this the White House is being somewhat childish according to the Wall Street Journal which reported this week that the administration was “resisting giving Democratic staff even technical advice on funding that that the new majority wants to add for veterans’ health programs.”

This particular impasse was resolved when Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX) by going directly to a senior official in the Department of Veterans Affairs and after the issued had received some publicity.

The principal problem, though, appears to be the fighting among Democrats.

On the one extreme there are a minority led by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) who want to use Congress’ appropriations authority to end the war. She is co-chairwoman of the Out of Iraq Caucus.

Cutting funding and trying to micromanage in-theatre military operations pits Waters’ wing against those who represent swing and conservative leaning districts that form the Democrats’ base of control of the House.

Additionally many Democratic military veterans in and out of Congress such as Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) and retired Gen. Wesley Clark caution against such approaches.