FACT SHEET:
Emergency Supplemental: Iraq, Afghanistan, Veterans, and Workers
This week the House of Representatives will consider the emergency supplemental bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and pressing domestic needs. Under consideration are $183.77 billion in outstanding requests from the President. The Democratic proposal totals $183.686 billion, just under the President’s request for appropriated dollars.
As Congress considers the most recent war request, it is important that we also meet our obligations to those who bravely serve and address the economic insecurity of those at home. Thus, the proposal also includes 2 new initiatives not requested by the President:
1) an expanded GI Bill to provide improved education benefits for veterans, and
2) a 13 week extension of unemployment benefits for those workers who are unable to find a job in today’s rough economy.
The proposal will be taken up as 3 amendments.
· Amendment #1: $162.5 billion for the Department of Defense, funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through the summer of 2009.
· Amendment #2: Iraq Policy Restrictions.
· Amendment #3: Expanded GI Bill, Unemployment Insurance Extension, and other critical needs.
SUMMARY
Amendment #1: Department of Defense Funding: $96.6 billion, $3.4 billion below the President’s request for FY 2008 and $65.9 billion, $79 million below the President’s request, for FY 2009. Totaling $162.5 billion, this accounts for almost 90% of the discretionary spending in the bill.
Amendment #2: Iraq Policy
o Out in 18 months: Requires that troops begin redeployment from Iraq within 30 days with a goal of completing withdrawal of combat troops by December of 2009.
o Treaties with Iraq: Requires that any agreement between the United States and the Government of Iraq committing U.S. forces be specifically authorized by Congress.
o Iraqis Pay for Iraq Reconstruction: Requires that U.S. reconstruction aid for Iraq be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Iraqi Government.
o Fair Fuel Costs: Requires the President to reach an agreement with Iraq to subsidize fuel costs for U.S. Armed Forces operating in Iraq so that our military pays what Iraqis pay.
o Meeting Pentagon Guidelines: Requires that troops meet the Pentagon’s definition of “combat ready” before they can be deployed to Iraq; Prohibits troops from being deployed in Iraq longer than recommended under Pentagon guidelines; and Requires that troops follow military guidelines for time spent at home between deployments.
o Clean Up Contracting in Iraq: Expands current law to make all contractors working in war zones subject to prosecution for offenses that would otherwise be in violation of U.S. law; extends the statute of limitations for fraud cases during wartime; and amends the federal criminal code to prohibit profiteering and fraud involving contractors overseas.
o No Permanent Bases in Iraq: Prohibits the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq.
o Prohibits Torture: Prohibits interrogation techniques not authorized in the Army Field Manual.
Amendment #3:
Expanded GI Benefits for Veterans Education: Expands the education benefits veterans receive under the GI bill to restore the promise of a full, four-year college education, and make the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan part of an American economic recovery, just like the veterans of World War II were.
Extended Unemployment Compensation: Extends unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted their benefits by up to 13 weeks in every state as well as an additional 13 weeks in states with high unemployment. The number of Americans looking for work has grown by 800,000 over the last year, and the number of American jobs has declined by 260,000 since the beginning of 2008.
Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 (H.R. 5613): Places a moratorium on seven Medicaid regulations that would cut services to seniors, families, and those with disabilities as well as cut payments to safety net providers. These costs are fully offset.
International Affairs: $5.923 billion, $500 million above the President’s request for the State Department, USAID and International Food Assistance (PL480).
· Food Aid & Disaster Assistance: $1.865 billion, $745 million above the President’s request, for international food and disaster assistance. This includes $500 million above the President’s request for PL480 Food Assistance and $245 million above the President’s request for development assistance and disaster assistance programs meant to alleviate world hunger.
· Refugee Assistance: $675 million, $454 million above the President’s request, to address the refugee crisis in Iraq and elsewhere.
Military Construction: $4.6 billion for military construction, $2.2 billion over the President’s request, including $939 million for BRAC, over $210 million for the military child care centers that the President announced in the State of the Union but never funded, and $956 million for military hospitals to prevent the types of problems that faced Walter Reed.
Louisiana Levees: $5.8 billion for much needed efforts to strengthen New Orleans levees in FY 2009, as requested by the President.
Bureau of Prisons: $178 million urgently needed to meet rising incarceration costs and growing inmate population. These funds were requested by the administration, but would have been paid for by cutting funding for state and local law enforcement programs.
Census: $210 million to address decennial census cost overruns. The administration requested these funds but would have paid for them by cutting a variety items ranging from important scientific research to economic development programs.
Cleaning up Contracting (H.R. 3928 & H.R. 5712): Increases accountability and transparency in federal contracting by requiring companies that receive more than 80 percent of their revenue from the federal government to disclose the names and salaries of their top officers, and requires federal contractors to report violations of federal criminal law and over-payments on contracts over $5 million.
All items in Amendment #3 fall within the President’s topline or are fully offset except for the GI Bill expansion to support veterans and the extension of unemployment benefits for the workers who have been hurt the most by the distress in the economy.