Key Dem to vote against war funding

[bigtree]

07/27/10 11:40 AM ET

Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, announced Tuesday he will oppose a bill providing $33 billion to fund troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Obey introduced the original version of the war funding legislation and voted for it in March, but expressed his skepticism over the progress of the Afghan war in a floor statement.

”I have a double, and conflicting, obligation. As chairman, I have the obligation to bring this supplemental before the House to allow the institution to work its will,” he said. “But I also have the obligation to my conscience to indicate — by my individual vote — my profound skepticism that this action will accomplish much more than to serve as a recruiting incentive for those who most want to do us ill.”

“I have the highest respect and appreciation for our troops who have done everything asked of them. They are being let down by the inability of the governments of Afghanistan and in some instances Pakistan to do their parts,” he said. “I would be willing to support additional war funding — provided that Congress would vote — up or down — explicitly on whether or not to continue this policy after a new National Intelligence Estimate is produced. But absent that discipline, I cannot look my constituents in the eye and say that this operation will hurt our enemies more than us.”

read: http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/appropriations/111105-appropriations-chairman-to-vote-against-war-funding

also: http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/democrats-split-on-war-spending-bill/

[jobycom]

1. Wish I could Rec this more than once, but I'll have to settle for kicking it. nt

[deminwi]

2. +1 here also wish I could rec a thousand times more!!

[bigtree]

3. .

[Raineyb]

4. Excellent! I hope more join him! n/t