Redstate

Posted at 1:47pm on May 2, 2008 Democrat Congress Hostage Crisis: US Soldiers STILL Awaiting Rescue

More than 440 Days and counting, Pelosi and Reid set to exceed Iran's adventure in holding Americans hostage...

By haystack

Surely everyone remembers the 444 days of helplessness we all felt when Iranian goons took over our embassy, holding America (and that terrorist-hugging President that failed us so miserably when we needed him most) hostage? Well, according to Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are about to BEAT that 444 number....and our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines still await help from home:

It has now been more than 440 days since the original supplemental was sent to Congress – while pieces were passed, the entire bill has languished. There has been more than enough time for Democrats to act. This bill must be passed before the Memorial Day recess and the shameful tactics of the Democratic leadership have only ensured its defeat.

Back in February, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell made very clear what was at stake regarding this supplemental bill:

“We need that money as soon as possible so there is no disruption to our warfighting efforts and not a disruption to our soldiers’ lives, both in the field and their families at home,” Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters during a news conference.

SecDef Gates also stated back in February that a delay in the supplemental “degrades our ability to operate and sustain our force at home and in theater and makes it difficult to manage this department in a way that is fiscally sound.” Defense Department Comptroller Tina W. Jonas (also back in February) suggested that "the Army will run out of money to pay troops in June and will be unable to fund operations in July if the department doesn’t receive the emergency supplemental funds soon."

The Army stated back in November that it "would have to furlough civilian employees and close bases if emergency supplemental funding earmarked for installation operations and maintenance wasn’t approved by Congress." [Ft. Bragg, anyone? Walter Reed's Building 18 perhaps?] As Morrell put it , “we are soon going to be confronted with the same situation we found ourselves in at the end of last year, having to look down the barrel of the frightening prospect of running out of operations and maintenance money, from which we pay our forces and do lots of other things in the global war on terror.”

Guess how important this is to Harry Reid (subscription required):

“I think we’ll do our best to finish this before the Memorial Day break, but if we don’t, it’s no big deal. There’s money there. I don’t know why there is a rush to judgment, this is moving along quite rapidly. We’re not behind schedule. Everything’s fine."

No big deal, huh? Ask the mom with 2 kids at home while Dad's at war if it's a big deal Harry, when she doesn't get that paycheck. In fact, hunker down in a firefight with no ammunition left and see if this is "no big deal" Harry...

More on the "shameful tactics of the Democratic leadership" below the fold...

Posted in Congress | Congress Fails America | Ineptitude | Supplemental Bill | The Costs of Partisanship | War — Comments (8)/ Email this page » / Read More »