Iraq Supplemental Funding

On May 1, 2007, President Bush vetoed the Fiscal Year 2007 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill that contained restricted funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As you probably know, I voted against this bill each time it came before the Senate and strongly endorse the President's position. It is a mistake for Congress to dictate to the President, as the Commander-in-Chief, and the military commanders in the field how they ought to conduct the specific activities of the war. It is not good policy to announce troop management and movement decisions to the public. This measure would put our military in danger and is dispiriting to our troops. While we all want our troops to be safe and home soon, the best way to support them is to provide the support and funding they need to carry out their mission.

Many Idahoans are interested in what happens next with this matter. We all recognize that our troops must have the funding needed to function. Congress should provide a clean bill to the President that will allow the funding to continue. That process should begin as soon as possible, and the leaders should bring a new bill back to the floors of the U.S. House and the Senate.

By custom, congressional leaders make the decision as to whether an override is attempted. An override requires a supermajority vote in both chambers. That means that 290 members of the U.S. House and 67 members of the U.S. Senate must vote to override the President's veto. Since the measure narrowly passed both chambers--the House with 218 and the Senate with 51 votes in favor--it is not likely that an override would be successful as 62 Representatives and 16 Senators would need to change their votes. A vote not to override by either chamber sustains the President's veto.

On May 2, 2007, the U.S. House held an override vote, which failed with a vote of 222 to 203. Since the measure didn't reached the supermajority of 290, the measure was defeated and no further Senate consideration of it is permitted. That brings us back at a starting point to put together a supplemental funding bill that will appropriately provide the needed support to our military troops.

On May 24, 2007, both the House and Senate passed a supplemental spending measure that provided the critical funding for U.S. troops and for a number of domestic programs. I voted in favor of the bill, which passed the Senate by a vote of 80-14; the House passed the same measure earlier in the evening. The President is expected to sign the bill, which provides a total of $102.96 billion for military operations in the Global War on Terror as well as $17 billion for domestic programs such as wildlands fire management, Secure Rural Schools and disaster aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina. It does not contain a date certain for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. It does contain language related to benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet and conditions U.S. strategy in Iraq on progress in meeting those benchmarks.

Click here to read my statement on the vote.

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