Bush Treats Congress Like ATM Machine, Requests Another $46 Billion for War

Posted by Steve Benen at 6:40 AM on October 23, 2007.

This post, written by Steve Benen, originally appeared on The Carpetbagger Report

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At a press conference in July, the president said Congress has one, and only one, role to play in shaping war policy: handing over big bags of money, with no questions asked and no strings attached. "Let me make sure you understand what I'm saying," Bush said. "Congress has all the right in the world to fund. That's their main involvement in this war, which is to provide funds for our troops."

With that in mind, the president is demanding that his ATM pony up once again.

President Bush asked Congress on Monday for another $46 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and finance other national security needs. "We must provide our troops with the help and support they need to get the job done," Bush said.

The figure brings to $196.4 billion the total requested by the administration for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere for the budget year that started Oct. 1. It includes $189.3 billion for the Defense Department, $6.9 billion for the State Department and $200 million for other agencies.

To date, Congress has already provided more than $455 billion for the Iraq war, with stepped-up military operations running about $10 billion a month.

The original funding request was for $141.7 billion. In July, Bush asked for $5.3 billion more. Today, it's $46 billion more.

Of course, the pre-emptive demagoguery came before lawmakers could even raise an objection.

Bush made his request in the Roosevelt Room after meeting in the Oval Office with leaders of veterans service organizations, a fallen Marine's family and military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. [...]

Bush said any member of Congress who wants to see success in Iraq, and see U.S. troops return home, should strongly support the request.

"I know some in Congress are against the war and are seeking ways to demonstrate that opposition," Bush said. "I recognize their position and they should make their views heard. But they ought to make sure our troops have what it takes to succeed. Our men and women on the front lines should not be caught the middle of partisan disagreements in Washington, D.C." [...]

"We must provide our troops with the help and support they need to get the job done," Bush said. "Parts of this war are complicated, but one part is not, and that is America should do what it takes to support our troops and protect our people."

Who would have guessed? Bush -- who already vetoed funding for the troops once -- insists that he get exactly what he wants, without exception, or his Democratic critics don't really support the troops. Why, that just so happens to be the exact same argument we've heard every time the White House has demanded that the ATM on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue pay up again.

And, of course, it's going to work, because it always does.

Tagged as: bush, iraq war, democratic congress, troop funding

Steve Benen is a freelance writer/researcher and creator of The Carpetbagger Report. In addition, he is the lead editor of Salon.com's Blog Report, and has been a contributor to Talking Points Memo, Washington Monthly, Crooks & Liars, The American Prospect, and the Guardian.