Kuhl Votes Against Fatally Flawed Bill
KUHL VOTES AGAINST FATALLY FLAWED BILL
U.S. Rep. John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr. (R-Hammondsport) voted against the Emergency War Supplemental Appropriations Bill offered by the House Democrats today. Rep. Kuhl's comments are below:
"This emergency supplemental appropriations bill is not only fiscally irresponsible, it's constitutionally flawed," said Rep. Kuhl. "This bill not only sets a plan for retreat and defeat in Iraq by setting mandated benchmarks and deadlines for withdrawal from Iraq, it includes a long list of non-emergency, non-war spending items, including $13 billion in domestic funds with nothing at all to do with Iraq. For example, there is $25 million for payments to spinach producers, $120 million to the shrimp industry, $74 million for peanut storage, $5 million for shellfish, oyster and clam producers. Not to mention a change in the law regarding disaster payments to farmers which will put over 70% of our farmers at a severe economic disadvantage. This is a problem I attempted to resolve with an amendment that the Democrat majority would not even allow me to bring up for debate.
"Simply and constitutionally put, Congress can declare war and vote to fund or not to fund military operation, but Congress cannot conduct war," Rep. Kuhl continued. "Congress should never impose its will or politically motivated timetables on military commanders in the field. That's what this bill does, and that's why I voted against it."
Specific elements of the War Supplemental Appropriations Bill proffered by House Democrats could prove disastrous for the U.S. military and American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those provisions are outlined below.
SECTION 1901: Prohibits the deployment of any U.S. military unit to Iraq until 15 days after the Chief of the Military Service certifies that the unit is "fully mission capable".
* House Democrats would impose inappropriate, operationally unsound, and arbitrary constraints on how the Department of Defense should prepare units to deploy even if circumstances on the ground warrant our military commanders to take a different course of action.
* House Democrats would handcuff the Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and military commanders by forbidding them from deploying combat reinforcements quicklyendangering all U.S. personnel in Iraq.
* House Democrats would force most U.S. military units to hold in Kuwait for 15 days. Since units usually achieve "fully mission capable" status in Kuwait upon completion of their final training. House Democrats would require a 15-day holding period upon completion of that training before units would be authorized to deploy into Iraq.
* House Democrats would weaken civilian control of the military and create a flurry of bureaucratic paperwork by inserting Congress into the process, ignoring the authorities of the Commander in Chief and Secretary of Defense, and requiring a Service Chief to certify directly to Congress that a unit is "fully mission capable" prior to deployment.
SECTION 1902: Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds for Operation Iraqi Freedom that extend an Army unit, including the Reserve and National Guard, beyond 365 days or a Marine Corps unit, including the Reserve, beyond 210 days.
* House Democrats would strip the Commander in Chief and military commanders of key personnel decisions.
* House Democrats would artificially limit the flexibility of military commanders to conduct operations in the field.
* House Democrats would strip the Commander in Chief of his constitutional responsibility to manage the readiness and availability of U.S. military forces.
* House Democrats would endanger all U.S. personnel in Iraq by denying military commanders the ability to respond to the exigencies of the battlefield in a timely manner.
SECTION 1903: Prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds for Operation Iraqi Freedom that deploy an Army unit, including the Reserve and National Guard, which was deployed within the previous 365 days or a Marine Corps unit, including the Reserve, which was deployed with the previous 210 days.
* House Democrats would strip the Commander in Chief and military commanders of key deployment and maneuver decisions.
* House Democrats would artificially limit the flexibility of military commanders to conduct operations in the field.
* House Democrats would strip the Commander in Chief of his constitutional responsibility to manage the readiness and availability of U.S. military forces.
* House Democrats would endanger all U.S. personnel in Iraq by denying military commanders the ability to respond to the exigencies of the battlefield in a timely manner.
SECTION 1904: Requires the Commander in Chief to precipitously withdraw all U.S. troops by March 1, 2008. Would require the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. troops by October 1, 2007, unless the President certifies that the Iraqi government has enacted a hydrocarbon law, reformed the de-Ba'athification law, and amended the constitution.
* House Democrats would prescribe defeat for the United States, our allies, and the Iraqi people.
* House Democrats would embolden our enemies and allow terrorists and militant Islamists a safe haven.
* House Democrats would send a vote of no confidence to General Petreaus, commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, although he received unanimous Senate confirmation in January.
* House Democrats would send a message to the Iraqi government and people that America does not support their efforts and cannot be trusted to uphold its future commitments.
* House Democrats would send a resounding message to our allies in the broader Middle East that America will wilt in the face of pressure and not complete its mission.
* House Democrats would endanger all U.S. personnel in Iraq by withholding key resources needed to train and equip Iraqi Security Forces to take over missions currently conducted by American troops.
SECTION 1905: Creates a Coordinator for Iraq Assistance who would report directly to the President and coordinate all U.S. military, political, and economic activities in Iraq.
* House Democrats would add another level of bureaucracy to an already complicated system.
* House Democrats would disregard and interfere with the statutory chain of command from the Commander in Chief to the Secretary of Defense to the military commanders in the field.
* House Democrats would ignore the fact that the Secretary of Defense has already appointed a coordinator for reconstruction efforts.
ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS: House Democrats included several miscellaneous provisions in the War Supplemental Appropriations bill that would either hinder American or Iraqi efforts in Iraq, micro-manage U.S. military commanders on the ground, or endanger American troops.
* Combating Violent Militias. House Democrats strip $155.5 million from the military effort to disarm and demobilize violent militias. Since no alternative exists to combat violent militias, armed groups will be left to roam the streets of Baghdad and civil unrest will continue. This senseless funding cut would undermine the U.S. military effort in Iraq and endanger U.S. troops.
* Combatant Commander Initiative Fund. House Democrats cut $25 million from the Combatant Commander Initiative Fund, which will deny military commanders a valuable regional engagement tool for "building partner nation capacity" in the Global War on Terrorism.
* Defense Security Cooperation Agency. House Democrats cut $350 million from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which would harm America's ability to build foreign capacity to counter instability and security problems.
* Special Operations Command. House Democrats cut $14 million from the Special Operations Command, limiting one of the most engaged forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as one of the most effective forces outside of Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terrorism and regional stability.
* IED Counter-Measures. House Democrats cut $13.25 million for Army Warlock electronic jammers and $27.63 million for the Army's Soldier Support and Survivability System.
* Helicopters. House Democrats cut $90 million for three additional CH-47 helicopter airframes, denying the Army three Chinook helicopters. House Democrats also cut $75 million for UH-60's, denying the Army five Blackhawk helicopters.
* Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. House Democrats cut $19 million for Air Force Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles, which are vital force protection equipment and effective counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism tools.
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