John Edwards for President: ARCHIVAL MIRROR-Edwards Statement On Reports That Bush Plans To Ask For Additional Iraq Funding

Edwards Statement On Reports That Bush Plans To Ask For Additional Iraq Funding

Aug 29, 2007 11:00 AM

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement today regarding this morning's Washington Post report that President Bush will ask Congress next month for a $50 billion increase in supplemental funding for the war in Iraq.

"The old Washington ways need to stop, and they need to stop now. The president keeps on asking for money, and Congress keeps caving. All the while, a war the American people want to end just goes on and on. That's the way they do it in Washington, D.C., but the American people are tired of excuses.

"Now we learn that the president is so confident Congress won't stand up to him in this fall's funding decisions that he's actually going to increase his request to fund the surge by another $50 billion—on top of the original $147 billion supplemental he requested. Let there be no doubt, this money will fund a failed Bush strategy in Iraq that that has failed to reduce the average level of sectarian violence in the country.

"Enough is enough. When Congress comes back next week, they should stand firm and make their position clear: No timeline, no funding. No excuses.

"In October, Congress needs to send the president a funding bill that withdraws all combat troops within the next year and lays the groundwork for a comprehensive political solution that will stabilize the country. If the president vetoes that bill, they need to send him another one—and do this as many times as it takes for the president to finally get the message that he cannot defy the will of the American people, of Congress, and even of many members of his own military who believe it's time to end this war and bring our troops home to the heroes' welcome they deserve."