WASHINGTON, March 30 (UPI) -- The head of a U.S. war veterans group opposed to continued U.S. presence in Iraq urged President Bush on Friday to sign the Iraq funding bill.
The U.S. Senate Thursday approved the $122 billion Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill for additional funding of Iraq operations by 51 votes to 47. Bush has pledged to veto the measure, which calls for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin 120 days after its final passage. The bill also contains funding for non-related "pork" projects.
Jon Stoltz, an Iraq war veteran and chairman of VoteVets, a political action committee, said in a statement that the president would be undermining U.S. troops if he refused to sign the measure, which contained funds to boost the care of wounded U.S. soldiers and supply vitally needed new armored equipment to American forces operating in Iraq.
"Now, the United States Congress is ... demanding accountability and performance from the administration. It's ironic that an administration that has such a hang up for tying accountability to funding for things like schools or social programs is so opposed to any performance evaluation itself, especially with American lives on the line," Stoltz said.
"Once the Congress passes the final bill, the president must sign it and not hold up funding that will help protect and train our troops, fix Walter Reed, fund traumatic brain injury research, and supply the newest up-armored equipment in Iraq," he said.
"If the president vetoes this bill, never in the history of war would there be a more blatant example of a commander in chief undermining the troops," Stolz said. "There is absolutely no excuse for him to withhold funding for the troops, and if he does exercise a veto, Congress must side with the troops and override it."
VoteVets.org describes itself as "a pro-military organization committed to the destruction of terror networks around the world."
President Bush argues the withdrawal timeline is congressional micro-managing, would encourage enemy forces and undermine U.S. troop morale -- all before his new "surge" stategy is given a chance to work.
