July 28, 2010 Democrats voted No on war funds for a 59 billion dollar emergency fund for the war effort troop surge and if 114 voted against the funding the growing sentiment that the wars must end is growing in size. Only 12 Republicans voted no on war funding with the majority helping to pass the additional funding.
President Obama escalated the war effort to Afghanistan by ordering 30,000 more troops and 33 billion dollars to expand the war to the old battle fields abandoned by the Bush administration into the country of Afghanistan and its borders. Still Obama has not removed the troops from Iraq as he had promised in his campaign speeches in 2008 and a reasonable time frame was scheduled for 2010.
Denis Kucinich Votes No More Wars
Congressman Dennis Kucinich led the call on stopping the funding for the supplementation bills and Ron Paul a Republican joined him in that effort. Kucinich said “Wake Up America” and ” There is unlimited money for war. Money for a corrupt government in Afghanistan. When U.S. money is not going to the Karzai mob’s personal use it goes to help the Taliban kill our troops. There is money for a corrupt government in Pakistan which helps the Taliban in Afghanistan kill our troops.” The funding was passed by a majority of Republican votes 308 in favor and 114 against predominately Democrat votes.
8.7 Billion Dollars Missing in Iraq
On the heels of a report today that 8.7 billion dollars which was supposed to be spent for reconstruction funds that went missing in 2004 still is missing. These funds are US dollars that were arranged under the Bush administration that has disappeared into thin air. For US taxpayers to read about the drunken spending under the first two years of the war they have to remember these are all borrowed from China funds and need to be paid back to China. How can you lose 9.7 billion dollars? It is very easy as under the Bush policy initiatives he tried to repair the infrastructure before the war was over, and after he declared Mission Accomplished prematurely.
Democrat Earl Blumenauer voted no and said ” I cannot support a bill that spends 37 billion in Afghanistan while denying 10 billion for teacher jobs, 1 billion for summer youth employment, 5 billion for Pell Grants and 701 million for border security”.
He went on to say ” we need to start making the right choices. This means drawing down from a costly war that Americans and Afghans want to end and investing in a better more productive future for our country”. Three times more Democrats voted against the continuation of funding for the war than in last years’ vote.
Jim McDermott a Democrat said on the floor that ” After spending 350 billion on this war, I have not seen nearly enough progress and will not support simply intensifying an approach that has produced few results”.
John Boehner said that the resources are needed to support the mission and that our troops continue the fight.
While it is true that 350 billion was spent on the two wars since Bush invaded Iraq there is 8.7 billion dollars of that money missing and unaccounted for today. There is no search for the money, no one has records of the money and simply Americans are on the hook for it for generations to come. In total there has been over 1 trillion dollars spent on both wars that Congress has passed with borrowed money from China.
Editors Note:
It is becoming apparent that the Obama administration is not much different than the Bush administration when it comes to the war in Iraq. This opens up a host of opportunities for Democratic candidates to challenge Obama for the Presidency in 2012.
Peter Neisman
TAGS: Democrats vote no on War Funds, War funding for Iraq, War Funding for Afghanistan, Bush administration, Obama administration, voted for change, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Congressman Ron Paul, Earl Blumenauer, politics as usual, borrowed money from China.
