WASHINGTON, April 9 (UPI) -- The four chiefs of the U.S. military services are pressing Congress for swift passage of the $100 billion war supplemental.
But the general officers made no comment on the most controversial aspect of the war supplemental -- the timelines included in both the Senate and House version to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.
"With the increasing pace of operations and materiel needs in Iraq and Afghanistan, we ask that the Congress expeditiously complete its work on the Fiscal Year 2007 Emergency Supplemental," wrote Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Mullen, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway on April 2. "Given the current status of this legislation, we are particularly concerned that funding could be significantly delayed."
The two versions of the bill still have to be deconflicted, rewritten as a single bill and approved by both houses and then passed on to President George W. Bush.
Bush has vowed repeatedly to veto the bill if it includes a withdrawal timeline. He has also complained that the war supplemental includes non-war related spending, including drought relief and a bail-out package for spinach farmers nearly bankrupted by last year's spinach recall.
The military chiefs warn in their letter that if supplemental funds are not approved this month, the armed forces will "have to take increasingly disruptive measures in order to sustain combat operations."
"The impacts on readiness and quality of life could be profound ... Spending restrictions will delay cost readiness and strategic agility," they wrote.
The chiefs plea for swift approval of war funding is an annual ritual in large part because since 2002 the White House has requested war funding half way through the fiscal year when the military is already six months in the hole for day-to-day war costs.
The Pentagon this year submitted the fiscal year 2008 supplemental request with the 2008 annual budget, giving Congress six months lead time to approve the funding.
