Brown Slams Democrats For Playing Politics With Troops

Statement

Congressman Henry E. Brown Jr. (R- SC) expressed disappointment with the $105.8 billion FY 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act Conference Report that was passed in the House today. Citing the large amounts of nonessential spending and the reduced financial support for our troops in Iraq in Afghanistan, Brown made the following statement on the conference report after the vote:

"The Democrats are playing politics with our troops in order to provide more than $28.7 billion for their unnecessary pet projects and to further increase our national debt as a legacy for our children and grandchildren.

The War Supplemental should be just that, funding for our troops. However, after many back room meetings, Democrats tacked $9.1 billion of wasteful spending onto the once clean bill, while removing $4.1 billion from the Department of Defense, ironically the only area where the funds from this legislation were truly owed.

The money stripped from our troops protecting our security in Iraq and Afghanistan was then reallocated to provide the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with $5 billion (to provide $108 billion of loan guarantees), money that will serve as a global bailout for some of the world's most economically irresponsible and socially reprehensible nations like Argentina, Russia, Venezuela, Sudan and Iran.

Additionally, the final conference report does not include language to prevent the release of GITMO detainee photos and lightens the language regarding the detainees' relocation, making it easier for the Administration to transfer them to other countries or even to locations in the U.S.

When did it become a priority in this country to provide for suspect and enemy nations and to protect the rights of terrorists over the security of American citizens?

My Republican colleagues and I strongly supported the initial version of the troop funding bill when it passed the House last month. That bill was free of the global bailout money and focused on giving our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan the resources they need for success. It is a shame that these original ideals were not upheld with the final report of this legislation."

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