Iraq War Spending

July 2007 Senate Votes on Iraq War Amendments

Jeff Leys — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:33:07 -0500

Resource Description

On July 11, 2007, the U.S. Senate took a series of votes on various measures related to the war in Iraq.

Download PDF version of vote tally and text of the amendments.

Download Word version of vote tally and text of the amendments.

The amendments included:

an attempt to require that U.S. Armed Forces returning from Iraq be permitted to be at their home base for at least as long as the length of their tour in Iraq before being deployed back to Iraq.
an attempt to limit the length of the deployment of Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve units in Iraq to 12 months and of Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve units to 7 months in Iraq.
a measure to require a report to Congress on the involvement of Iran in Iraq.
a measure that would state that Armed Forces returning from Iraq SHOULD be allowed a minimum of 12 months at home before being deployed back to Iraq, but it did not require that 12 months elapse before being deployed back to Iraq.

Short Information Teaser

Tally and text of Senate votes on four amendments regarding the Iraq war.

Project

The Occupation Project

Excerpt

On July 11, 2007, the U.S. Senate took a series of votes on various measures related to the war in Iraq.

Download PDF version of vote tally and text of the amendments.

Download Word version of vote tally and text of the amendments.

The amendments included:

an attempt to require that U.S. Armed Forces returning from Iraq be permitted to be at their home base for at least as long as the length of their tour in Iraq before being deployed back to Iraq.
an attempt to limit the length of the deployment of Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve units in Iraq to 12 months and of Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve units to 7 months in Iraq.
a measure to require a report to Congress on the involvement of Iran in Iraq.
a measure that would state that Armed Forces returning from Iraq SHOULD be allowed a minimum of 12 months at home before being deployed back to Iraq, but it did not require that 12 months elapse before being deployed back to Iraq.

Resource: House and Senate Voting Records on War Funding

voices — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:22:30 -0500

Resource Description

House Voting Records

A table that tracks the key votes taken in the House between March 2007 and May 2007 on the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental spending bill. A quick explanation of the votes precedes the table. You can search by State or by representative name. The three most significant votes for determining legislative strategy are the vote on H.R. 1591, the vote on H.R. 2237 McGovern Bill and the vote on H.R. 2206 Final.

>> View House Voting Records

Senate Voting Records

This table tracks the votes taken in the Senate between March 2007 and May 2007 on the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental spending bill. A quick explanation of the votes precede the table. You can search by State or by representative name.

>> View Senate Voting Records

Short Information Teaser

House and Senate Voting Records - tables tracking key votes on funding of the U.S. war in Iraq

Project

The Occupation Project

Excerpt

House Voting Records

>> View House Voting Records

Senate Voting Records

>> View Senate Voting Records

Iraq - Afghanistan War Spending: Legislative Update: Oct 7, 2007

Jeff Leys — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:06:56 -0500

Resource Description

By Jeff Leys

October 7, 2007
Download PDF

Congress will likely act before the end of October on at least a portion of the $192 billion that President Bush is seeking to fund the Iraq - Afghanistan war for Fiscal Year 2008 (which runs from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008). Legal and extralegal (civil disobedience / civil resistance) lobbying should take place between now and the end of October.

You can find out who your Representative and Senators are at the website Congress.org, along with phone numbers and contact information.

Following is a likely legislative timeline that Congress may follow.

Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations Bill Pass House and Senate

On October 1, the Senate passed the Defense Authorization bill. This bill is a policy bill which lays out programs that the Department of Defense is authorized to carry out and also contains a suggested funding amount. However, it does not actually give the Defense Department the legal ability to spend funds in the U.S. treasury. That requires an appropriations bill. So, even though the Senate Defense Authorization bill sets a suggested funding level of about $150 billion to fund the Iraq - Afghanistan war during FY 2008, that money is not yet actually appropriated.

On October 3, the Senate-on a voice vote-passed the Defense Appropriations bill for FY 2008. This is the bill that gives the Defense Department the legal ability to actually spend money out of the U.S. treasury.

The House previously passed its versions of the Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations Bill in the summer.

Neither the House nor the Senate version of the Defense Appropriations bill contains funding for the Iraq - Afghanistan war.

Continuing Resolution and MRAP Program

Both the House and the Senate did pass a Continuing Resolution near the end of September. A continuing resolution is passed when regular appropriations bills have not yet passed Congress or been signed into law. The continuing resolution allows government agencies to continue to spend money to operate at the levels at which they operated during the previous year, in order to avoid a shut down of the federal government. Thus, this particular Continuing Resolution did allow for continued spending on the Iraq - Afghanistan war at an average expenditure rate of about $5.8 billion per month (while also permitting the Department of Defense to draw upon other funds in its regular baseline military budget to fund the war until the full Iraq - Afghanistan war spending request is acted upon by Congress).

Congress appropriated an additional $5.2 billion for the procurement of Mine Resistant Ambush Protect (MRAP) vehicles in the continuing resolution. In so doing, it fulfilled the spending request which President Bush submitted to Congress at the end of July.

Conference Committee and Possible Bridge Fund for the Iraq - Afghanistan War OR Another Continuing Resolution

Congress may choose one of two routes to continue funding the Iraq - Afghanistan war. It may pass a new continuing resolution to continue funding the war. Or it may attach a bridge fund to the Defense Appropriations bill to fund the war. Either way, there likely will be precious little notice to the public of war funding that is being voted upon by Congress, which makes legal and extra-legal lobbying so important at this time.

A conference committee, made up of Representatives and Senators, must now resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Defense Appropriations bill.

The final vote on the Defense Appropriations bill-which may include some Iraq - Afghanistan war funding-will likely be voted upon in both the House and Senate sometime between October 15 and November 2. The Senate is in recess from October 8 through October 15 and the House plans to adjourn by November 8.

John Murtha, Chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, has indicated that he may add a “bridge” fund to the Defense Appropriations bill (as reported by Megan Scully in the October 2, 2007 edition of Congress Daily). This bridge fund would appropriate funds for the military to wage the Iraq - Afghanistan war, probably through the spring of 2008. Such a bridge fund was included a year ago, to the tune of $70 billion, to wage the Iraq - Afghanistan war.

It is very unlikely that there will be much-if any-public awareness of a bridge fund being attached to the final version of the Defense Appropriations bill that will be voted upon by both the House and Senate. For example, this past May the final version of the Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental was not publicly available until about 5:30 a.m. on the morning that the vote took place.

Thus, pressure must be exerted now upon Representatives and Senators to oppose any additional funding for the Iraq - Afghanistan war. This includes a commitment to vote against the Defense Appropriations Bill if the final version contains any funding for the war.

Iraq - Afghanistan War Supplemental Vote in Early 2008

Sometime in early 2008, Congress will take up an Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental to provide funding through the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 2008).

Dave Obey, Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, indicated on October 2 he will not send any Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental to the floor of the House for a vote prior to the end of the year if it does not:

Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.
Ensure that troops would have adequate time at home between deployments as outlined in the Murtha and Webb amendments.
Demonstrate a determination to engage in an intensive, broad scale diplomatic offensive involving other countries in the region.

Obey continued his statement, “As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo.”

Now for the finer points of Obey’s statement. His commitment is specifically tied to THIS SESSION of Congress, which has a targeted adjournment date of October 26, though it is possible the House could stay in session beyond this date. Obey’s statement very concretely DOES NOT refer to what he may or may not do once the Second Session of the 110th Congress begins in January.

Also, the first two conditions of ending combat operations by January 2009 and of guarantees of rest and readiness for troops deploying to Iraq are not substantively different from the conditions included in the original version of the Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental passed earlier this year but vetoed by Bush. While ending U.S. combat operations in Iraq by January 2009 would be a significant change in current U.S. policy, we should be pushing for the immediate end to combat operations with the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq and with full U.S. funding for the reconstruction of Iraq.

Iraq - Afghanistan War Funding for Fiscal Year 2009

On February 4, 2008 President Bush will submit his budget proposal to Congress for FY 2009 (which runs from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009). Initial indications, according the website DefenseInsider, are that the military is preparing a budget request in the range of $150 to $200 billion. Initial budget requests from each branch of the military were to be submitted to the DOD comptroller by September 14 of this year. Most probably, this funding request will be debated in the fall of 2008 and be used as an election wedge issue by both the Democrats and Republicans.

Short Information Teaser

Legislative update on status of Iraq - Afghanistan War Spending

Project

The Occupation Project

Excerpt

By Jeff Leys

October 7, 2007
Download PDF

You can find out who your Representative and Senators are at the website Congress.org, along with phone numbers and contact information.

Following is a likely legislative timeline that Congress may follow.

Iraq - Afghanistan War Supplemental for FY 2008 to Be Voted on Soon -- Questions & Answers -- April 30, 2008

Jeff Leys — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:46:44 -0500

Short Information Teaser

A Question and Answer on the Iraq War Supplemental Before Congress

Excerpt

April 29, 2008

Download in Word - Complete with Charts
Download in PDF — Complete with Charts

According to an April 29 article on CQ Politics, the House will likely vote on a new Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental during the week of May 5, with Senator Harry Reid stating that he wants the Senate to vote on the bill prior to Memorial Day.

Details of the supplemental are being closely guarded by the Democratic party leadership. However, the supplemental is based upon President Bush’s request for an additional $108 billion in supplemental funding for the Iraq – Afghanistan war for the current fiscal year (FY 2008, which ends on September 30, 2008). Of this amount, $102 billion will be for the military.

Body

April 29, 2008

Download in Word - Complete with Charts
Download in PDF - Complete with Charts

Congress may also appropriate—in the same bill—an additional $70 billion as a “down payment” on funding the war in FY 2009 (which runs from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009). This additional $70 billion would fund the war through at least March 2009 and (depending upon how it is spent and how other Department of Defense funds are utilized) most likely through June 2009.

That would bring the total Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental for military spending to $178 billion (with more no doubt to be appropriated after the next President assumes office in January 2009). And don’t forget that in a series of votes in October, November and December 2007, Congress already appropriated $86.8 billion for the Iraq – Afghanistan war for this fiscal year.

Negotiations to develop the current supplemental spending bill have been taking place behind closed doors between Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate. These negotiations are laying the ground work for a quick vote on the bill once it reaches the floor of the House and the floor of the Senate. These negotiations are also laying the groundwork for the possibility that identical bills may be voted upon in both the House and the Senate, which would eliminate the necessity to create a conference committee (consisting of members of the House and Senate) to craft a final compromise bill.

According to an April 29 report by CQ Politics:

“A senior House aide said that the current plan is to hold three separate votes in the House: one for the war funding, one for domestic items, and one for a series of Iraq-related war policy provisions. These votes, which likely would all be called ‘amendments,’ would then be joined together and sent to the Senate as a package.”

It is quite possible—indeed probable—that the House version will not be publicly available until the morning of the vote. It is also quite possible that the date the vote takes place on Iraq – Afghanistan war spending won’t be known until the night before the vote is scheduled to occur. This means that it will be next to impossible to mobilize significant opposition to the Iraq – Afghanistan war spending bill.

Therefore, it is indeed critical that phone calls begin now to Representatives and Senators to express opposition to any additional funding for the Iraq war—and especially so if the funding does not have concrete, date-certain timetables for complete withdrawal from Iraq with the provision that the funds can only be used for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

CALL CONGRESS TODAY

It is critical that phone calls and lobbying—both legal and extralegal civil disobedience—be on-going at the offices of Representatives and Senators with the message being simple: Vote against any additional funds for the Iraq war.

You can contact your Representative and Senators via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

You can find out your Representative’s and Senators’ direct contact information by visiting the website of Contacting Congress: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Following is a “Question and Answer” piece on the status of the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental as well as two charts that summarize the components of the war spending request.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE IRAQ – AFGHANISTAN WAR SUPPLEMENTAL FOR FY 2008

How much did President Bush request for the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental?

President Bush requested a total of $189.3 billion in funding for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars in Fiscal Year 2008. This Fiscal Year runs from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

This includes: $17.8 billion for Personnel Costs; $92.5 billion for Operations & Maintenance costs; and $71.6 billion for Procurement costs.

How much has Congress already appropriated for the wars in Fiscal Year 2008?

$86.8 billion is already appropriated by Congress for FY 2008. Funds were appropriated on three occasions. In September, Congress appropriated $5.2 billion in the Continuing Resolution (HR 52). In November, Congress appropriated $11.6 billion and included this amount in the baseline budget for the Department of Defense. In December, Congress appropriated an additional $70 billion as a supplemental included in the Omnibus Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008.

How much remains to be appropriated for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in FY 2008?

Congress fully funded the procurement of MRAP vehicles in the Continuing Resolution of September and in the Department of Defense baseline budget of November. It appropriated a total of $16.8 billion for procurement, maintenance and transport of MRAPs. This is the total amount requested by the Bush Administration for FY 2008 for MRAP vehicles.

How much remains to be appropriated of the amount requested by President Bush?

Of the funds requested by President Bush for the military, $102.4 billion remains to be considered by Congress.

This includes: $16.7 billion for Personnel costs; $34.9 billion for Operations & Maintenance costs; and $44.4 billion for Procurement costs.

Will the final Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental be available to the public before the vote in Congress?

Yes, but substantively no. The probability is high that the pattern of prior supplemental spending bills will be followed. Backroom deals will be negotiated by the powers-that-be and a final bill will be posted on the House of Representatives website on the morning of the vote. In May 2007, the final version of the House supplemental spending bill was not posted and available to the public until 6 a.m. on the morning of the vote.

Do funds appropriated by Congress for FY 2008 have to be spent by the military before September 30, 2008?

A Fiscal Year for the federal government begins on October 1 and ends the following September 30.

Funds appropriated for Personnel Costs and for Operations and Maintenance costs must be spent during the fiscal year for which they are appropriated—or, in this case, by September 30, 2008.

However, Procurement funds can be carried over from one year into the next. The military operates on a 3 year procurement cycle. In order to allow for bids to be placed; contracts to be signed; production to be completed and equipment to be delivered, Congress allows money appropriated for procurement to be spent up to three years into the future. Therefore, if Congress ends up approving the full $71.6 billion for procurement originally requested by President Bush, the Department of Defense will have until September 30, 2010 to actually spend the money for procurement. Much of the equipment to be purchased with these funds won’t be delivered to the military until 2009 or 2010.

The purchase of body armor and other protective gear for soldiers is contained within the Operation and Maintenance portion of the budget, a portion of the budget that must be spent by September 30, 2008.

Is President Bush seeking any Iraq – Afghanistan war funds for Fiscal Year 2009?

Yes. President Bush included a $70 billion “placeholder” in his budget for FY 2009 (which runs from October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009). This is the same tactic that was used in prior fiscal years when Congress approved “bridge” funds or “reserve” funds for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars which were then contained as separate “supplemental” sections within the baseline Defense appropriations bill.

In testimony before Congress in early February, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates estimated that the total spending request for FY 2009 for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars will be about $170 billion. He stated that this is only a guess and is based solely upon a straight line projection of current year costs into next year.

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Assessing House Voting Records on Iraq War Funding - Feb 15, 2008

Jeff Leys — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:25:34 -0600

Short Information Teaser

Assessments of Voting Records of Representatives on Iraq War Funding - Feb 15, 2008

Excerpt

February 15, 2008

Download Full Report as PDF

Congress is now considering President Bush’s request for an additional $102.5 billion in supplemental spending for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars. The central objectives of the antiwar effort must continue to be an end to all funding for the war in Iraq; an end to all military action against Iraq; and the complete and immediate withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Iraq.

At the same time, it is important to examine the recent voting records of Representatives. An assessment of voting records will assist in developing strategies and tactics to use in lobbying Representatives to bring the Iraq war to an end. These strategies will no doubt include both legal and extralegal (i.e., nonviolent civil disobedience and nonviolent civil resistance) forms of lobbying.

The following assessments should be used as a tool in developing lobbying strategies rather than as the “be all, end all” assessment of Representatives and there are varying degrees of support or opposition to the Iraq war within each grouping that follows.

Download Full Report as PDF

Body

February 15, 2008

Download Full Report as PDF

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Project

The Occupation Project

Q & A: Iraq - Afghanistan War Supplemental, Feb 13, 2008

Jeff Leys — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:01:04 -0600

Short Information Teaser

Q & A on the $102 billion war spending request still before Congress. Written Feb 13, 2008.

Excerpt

Download Q & A
PDF file - Q & A with charts
PDF file — charts only

February 14, 2008

Congress will soon begin consideration of an additional $102.4 billion in supplemental funding for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars. On February 13, Representative Jack Murtha (Chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee) announced that he intends to produce a final version of the latest 2008 Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental spending bill by the end of February. After this it will be considered by the full House Appropriations Committee and then go to the full floor of the House for a vote. The Senate similarly is beginning to develop its version of the latest war supplemental spending bill.

The House bill will be developed behind closed doors. No hearings are scheduled between now and the end of February to discuss the bill in the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee. It is not known when the final war supplemental spending bill will be made available to the public. It may well end up that the final supplemental spending bill is presented as a “fait accompli”—an accomplished act—on the floors of the House and of the Senate only hours before the vote is to take place. In May 2007, the final spending bill was not released to the public until about 6 a.m. on the morning of the vote. In December 2007, the funds for the Iraq war were tucked into a Senate amendment to an omnibus appropriations bill—an amendment available to the public only after it was submitted on the floor of the Senate by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

It is also highly unlikely that any language on partial troop withdrawal will be included in the supplemental spending bill this time around. Representative Murtha stated that he will recommend the inclusion of some form of withdrawal language in the bill, though stopped short of stating partial withdrawal language will in fact be included in the bill. However, such language was stripped out of the final version of war supplemental spending bills that passed Congress in May 2007 and in December 2007.

Therefore, it is critical that phone calls and lobbying—both legal and extralegal civil disobedience—be on-going at the offices of Representatives and Senators with the message being simple: Vote against any additional funds for the Iraq war.

You can contact your Representative and Senators via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

You can find out your Representative’s and Senators’ direct contact information by visiting the website of Contacting Congress

Following is a “Question and Answer” piece on the status of the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental as well as two charts that summarize the components of the war spending request.

Body

Download Q & A
PDF file - Q & A with charts
PDF file — charts only

February 14, 2008

You can contact your Representative and Senators via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

You can find out your Representative’s and Senators’ direct contact information by visiting the website of Contacting Congress

Following is a “Question and Answer” piece on the status of the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental as well as two charts that summarize the components of the war spending request.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE IRAQ – AFGHANISTAN WAR SUPPLEMENTAL FOR FY 2008

How much did President Bush request for the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental?

President Bush requested a total of $189.2 billion in funding for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars in Fiscal Year 2008. This Fiscal Year runs from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008.

This includes: $17.7 billion for Personnel Costs; $84.3 billion for Operations & Maintenance costs; and $67.2 billion for Procurement costs.

How much has Congress already appropriated for the wars in Fiscal Year 2008?

How much remains to be appropriated for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in FY 2008?

How much remains to be appropriated of the amount requested by President Bush?

Of the funds requested by President Bush, $102.4 billion remains to be considered by Congress.

This includes: $16.7 billion for Personnel costs; $34 billion for Operations & Maintenance costs; and $44.3 billion for Procurement costs.

When will Congress act upon the remaining $102.4 billion requested by President Bush?

It is not known precisely when Congress will act upon the remaining $102.4 billion of President Bush’s request.

However, Representative Murtha stated that he intends to have a final bill prepared by the end of February. The bill will then go to the full House Appropriations Committee for a vote and, after that, to the full House of Representatives for a vote. In each of the last two years, the House voted on its version of the bill in the week leading up to the start of a two week recess. The recess this year begins on March 15 and ends on March 31.

The Senate must then pass its version of a supplemental spending bill. In each of the past two years, the Senate passed its version between mid-April and the first week of May.

It is possible that a vote on the latest Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental could be delayed in both the House and the Senate until sometime after General Petraeus (Commander of the Multi-National Forces – Iraq) presents a report to Congress in April (expected during the week of April 7).

Will Congress hold hearings on the President’s request for additional Iraq – Afghanistan war funds before crafting legislation to appropriate the funds?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. In the spring of 2007, Representative John Murtha (Chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee) held hearings on the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental spending request. Similar hearings were conducted in the Senate. These were hearings on the President’s request for war appropriations for Fiscal Year 2007 (which ended on September 30, 2007).

However, no such subcommittee hearings were held in the fall of 2007 before Congress appropriated money for the Iraq – Afghanistan wars. Indeed, when Congress appropriated $70 billion for the wars in December 2007, about half of that money was added through an amendment made by Senator Mitch McConnell on the floor of the Senate which was included in the final bill.

Normally, when Congress appropriates money, a conference committee writes a report detailing how the money is to be spent. No such report accompanies the $70 billion appropriated by Congress. Instead, the details are included in documentation submitted by Senator McConnell and inserted into the Congressional Record at the time of the vote.

Will the final Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental be available to the public before the vote in Congress?

Do funds appropriated by Congress for FY 2008 have to be spent by the military before September 30, 2008?

A Fiscal Year for the federal government begins on October 1 and ends the following September 30.

Funds appropriated for Personnel Costs and for Operations and Maintenance costs must be spent during the fiscal year for which they are appropriated—or, in this case, by September 30, 2008.

However, Procurement funds can be carried over from one year into the next. The military operates on a 3 year procurement cycle. In order to allow for bids to be placed; contracts to be signed; production to be completed and equipment to be delivered, Congress allows money appropriated for procurement to be spent up to three years into the future. Therefore, if Congress ends up approving the full $67.2 billion for procurement originally requested by President Bush, the Department of Defense will have until September 30, 2010 to actually spend the money for procurement. Much of the equipment to be purchased with these funds won’t be delivered to the military until 2009 or 2010.

The purchase of body armor and other protective gear for soldiers is contained within the Operation and Maintenance portion of the budget.

Will Congress attempt to attach any loose language on withdrawal to the Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental?

It seems highly unlikely that Congress will attach any loose language on partial troop withdrawal to an Iraq – Afghanistan war supplemental this spring.

Is President Bush seeking any Iraq – Afghanistan war funds for Fiscal Year 2009?

Download charts for Q & A - PDF file

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Project

The Occupation Project

Slip Sliding Away: House Votes on Iraq War Funding Today, November 14

Jeff Leys — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:56:32 -0600

Short Information Teaser

House prepares to vote on new Iraq war spending bill

Excerpt

November 14, 2007

The Democratic Party’s Barbershop Quartet strikes again-caving in marvelous manner on the Iraq war. “You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away,” sang Simon and Garfunkel.

If ending the Iraq war is our destination, then Pelosi, Obey, Murtha and the Democrats are slip sliding us all further away.

Today, November 14, the House will vote on H.R. 4156-the newest Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental spending bill. In the finest tradition of democracy, the text of the bill was not publicly available until last night.

Body

November 14, 2007

If ending the Iraq war is our destination, then Pelosi, Obey, Murtha and the Democrats are slip sliding us all further away.

HR 4156 provides $50 billion to wage the Iraq - Afghanistan wars through September 30, 2008. It also moves backwards in setting any form of timetable for an ultimate withdrawal from Iraq. HR 4156 is a definite setback when compared to the war spending bill initially passed by the House in March 2007.

Back then, the Democratic party leadership crafted a plan that required that the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq begin by March 1, 2008 and be completed within 180 days (end of August 2008). The plan provided that U.S. troops could be left in Iraq for certain purposes, namely protecting the U.S. Embassy and U.S. personnel; training the Iraqi Army; and engaging in counter-terrorist military action. Erik Leaver of the Institute for Policy Studies estimated that these provisions would have left upwards of 40 to 60 thousand U.S. troops in Iraq.

But compare the plan of March 2007 to the plan of December 2007, as laid out in HR 4156.

HR 4156 requires that the redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq begin within 30 days of enactment of the law. That is the only portion of the redeployment language that is mandatory rather than permissive.

Regarding completion of the redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq, HR 4156 states that:

“The goal for the completion of the transition of United States Armed Forces to a limited presence and missions and described in subsection (e) shall be a date that is not later than December 15, 2008.”

So, the Democratic Party leadership in the House shifts its position on redeployment from a MANDATORY completion date of the end of August 2008 to a GOAL completion date of December 15, 2008. The only thing mandatory about the goal date is that it be by December 15, 2008. But, as any labor union negotiator will tell you, a GOAL is permissive and unenforceable absent any language to make it enforceable. And, guess what, there is no enforcement mechanism in HR 4156 if President Bush does not meet the goal of completing redeployment by December 15, 2008.

But that’s only the half of it.

HR 4156 would significantly expand the purposes for which U.S. troops could remain in Iraq when compared to the provisions of the Iraq supplemental passed by the House in March 2007.

In March 2007, the House war spending bill provided that U.S. troops remaining in Iraq after partial redeployment would remain for: “Engaging in targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with global reach.”

Compare that language to the language in the bill the House will vote on today. HR 4156 leaves U.S. troops in Iraq for: “Engaging in targeted counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda affiliated groups and other terrorist organizations in Iraq.”

Gone from the current bill, HR 4156, is any language stating that the organizations have “global reach.” This is a potentially significant expansion of the role of U.S. troops remaining in Iraq when compared to that perhaps envisioned last March. Under the March 2007 language, it could plausibly have been argued that the Mehdi Army and various Iraqi militias are not “terrorist organizations with global reach” and therefore outside the scope of the mission of the remaining U.S. forces in Iraq. With the elimination of “global reach” from this clause, the Mehdi Army and all other Iraqi militias are fair game for U.S. military action in Iraq (assuming the U.S. makes the argument that any militia outside of Iraq’s standing army is a “terrorist organization”).

Another significant change from March 2007 to the bill being voted upon today is the elimination of the clause “limited in duration and scope”. While that clause was never defined in the prior legislation that passed the House, it would have served to potentially put some limitations on the scale and length of U.S. military operations in Iraq. Absent that clause, no such limitation exists within HR 4156.

So, then, what is to be done?

Immediately, all should call their Representative and urge them to vote against HR 4156. It is a bill that continues the war with no end in sight, with no enforceable timetable for withdrawal, and expands the mission of any U.S. forces which might remain after a partial withdrawal. You can reach your Representative via the Capitol Switchboard, 1-202-224-3121.

Congress will take up additional Iraq - Afghanistan war funding when it returns in January, regardless of what happens with HR 4156-whether it becomes law or not. We must be prepared to use all forms of nonviolent action to bring about an end to the war. This includes legal lobbying. But it also includes extralegal lobbying.

The Occupation Project, coordinated by Voices for Creative Nonviolence (http://www.vcnv.org), will be refocused and re-energized come the turn of the year to focus upon Representatives and Senators who refuse to publicly commit to voting against additional war funding for the Iraq - Afghanistan wars. Over 400 arrests occurred in 2007 at the offices of over 42 Representatives and Senators as part of the Occupation Project campaign. Let’s double, triple or more that number of arrests and our commitment to the use of nonviolent civil disobedience as a form of extralegal lobbying.

And let us press those who would be President to publicly commit to the complete and immediate withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq when they become President of the U.S.-and to publicly commit to opposing any U.S. military action against Iran. Work within the primary and caucus systems is necessary and important. Nonviolent civil resistance during the campaign is necessary as well. Launched last week in Des Moines, Iowa, social justice and anti-war advocates are occupying the campaign offices of Presidential candidates to press for an immediate end to the Iraq war. Dubbed SODaPOP (Seasons of Discontent: A Presidential Occupation Project)(http://www.vcnv.org) the campaign is focused upon Iowa and will expand nationally.

We have a choice to make. We can roll over and play dead and bemoan the betrayal of those who reside in the House, Senate and White House. Or we can reclaim the best of our heritage of struggles for social justice and begin to take the risks commensurate with the risks encountered by Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers every day that the war in Iraq continues.

We should lobby Congress legally, by all means. But we should also lobby Congress by all nonviolent means at our disposal-including the extralegal lobbying means of civil disobedience and nonviolent civil resistance.

And we should vote-at the ballot box, in the primaries and in the caucuses. But we should also vote with our lives-in nonviolent civil disobedience and civil resistance to the war that engulfs Iraq and the U.S.

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Iraq - Afghanistan War Spending: Legislative Update: Oct 7, 2007

Jeff Leys — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:06:56 -0500

Short Information Teaser

Legislative update on status of Iraq - Afghanistan War Spending

Excerpt

October 7, 2007
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You can find out who your Representative and Senators are at the website Congress.org, along with phone numbers and contact information.

Following is a likely legislative timeline that Congress may follow.

Body

October 7, 2007
Download PDF

You can find out who your Representative and Senators are at the website Congress.org, along with phone numbers and contact information.

Following is a likely legislative timeline that Congress may follow.

Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations Bill Pass House and Senate

The House previously passed its versions of the Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations Bill in the summer.

Neither the House nor the Senate version of the Defense Appropriations bill contains funding for the Iraq - Afghanistan war.

Continuing Resolution and MRAP Program

Conference Committee and Possible Bridge Fund for the Iraq - Afghanistan War OR Another Continuing Resolution

A conference committee, made up of Representatives and Senators, must now resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Defense Appropriations bill.

Iraq - Afghanistan War Supplemental Vote in Early 2008

Sometime in early 2008, Congress will take up an Iraq - Afghanistan war supplemental to provide funding through the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 2008).

Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.
Ensure that troops would have adequate time at home between deployments as outlined in the Murtha and Webb amendments.
Demonstrate a determination to engage in an intensive, broad scale diplomatic offensive involving other countries in the region.

Iraq - Afghanistan War Funding for Fiscal Year 2009

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Project

The Occupation Project

Iraq and Afghanistan Supplemental Spending 2008

Jeff Leys — Tue, 08 May 2007 21:17:44 -0500

Resource Description

by Jeff Leys
Co-Coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence
jeffleys@vcnv.org
May 8, 2007

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MAY 17: Audio Discussion of Iraq and Afghanistan Supplemental Spending 2008

Don’t lose the forest for the trees.

Congress is now considering President Bush’s request for an additional $145 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through September 30, 2008. The House Armed Services Committee is including these funds in the Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2008, which runs from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008. Of this, $142 billion will be for the military and $3 billion will be for the State Department.

President Bush submitted this request on February 5, the same date on which he requested $93 billion for the wars for this year’s budget and $482 billion for the regular baseline military budget for FY 2008 (a 62% increase over the baseline military budget in 2001).

While political gamesmanship will continue over war funding for this fiscal year (which ends on September 30), the substantive debate on this year’s supplemental bill is all but over. Congress will most likely approve these funds, including “benchmark” requirements placed upon Iraq’s government. These “benchmarks” are meaningless in terms of ending U.S. military action in Iraq. Most likely, not even a “goal” date for withdrawal from Iraq will be included in the final supplemental bill for this year.

The antiwar movement must quickly shift its focus to the $145 billion supplemental spending request for FY 08. If the focus doesn’t shift, the war will end up being fully funded through September 30, 2008 and beyond.

But then: What is to be done?

Congress could, if it so chooses—and if there is sufficient public pressure—exercise “the power of the purse” and bring the Iraq war to an end. The time to act is short.

As noted, the 2008 war funds are already included in the Defense Authorization bill currently before Congress. Authorization bills set spending levels for the next fiscal year and guide the development of the appropriations bills. Once the Authorization bill is passed, the next stop is the Appropriations Committee, which crafts the legislation that actually appropriates the funds for expenditure.

In the last two years, Congress included Iraq and Afghanistan war funding in the same Defense Appropriations bill that contained funds for the baseline military budget. In 2005, Congress approved $50 billion as a “reserve” fund while in 2006 it approved $70 billion as a “bridge” fund. If Congress chooses to include the $142 billion supplemental war request and the regular baseline military budget in the same appropriations bill this year, the most likely time for Congress to act will be in June (in the House) and in July (in the Senate). Most likely, a final conference committee bill will be acted upon in September (Democrats most likely will want to position themselves as the party of “fiscal responsibility” by passing all appropriations before October 1, the start of the fiscal year).

Congress must use the leverage it has with the Defense Authorization and the Defense Appropriations bills to force an end to the Iraq war. Congress could attach provisions to the Defense Authorization bill and to the Defense Appropriations Bill requiring that all U.S. troops be withdrawn from Iraq by a specific date during FY 08 and prohibiting the expenditure of any funds for any form of continued military action in or against Iraq after that date. This “date certain” withdrawal could be December 31, 2007 (as proposed in legislation introduced by Representatives Waters, Woolsey and Lee). Or it could be March 31, 2008—implementing the policy objective put forth by Congress in the initial supplemental spending bill that President Bush vetoed. The only funds appropriated should be for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Iraq. Congress must then hold fast in February 2008, when Bush would most certainly seek additional war funds with yet another supplemental spending package.

If the above scenario is pursued, would Bush veto the entire military budget for Fiscal Year 2008? If he does, would Congress show political and ethical resolve, holding firm and resubmitting the baseline military budget and supplemental war budget in the same bill and with the same deadlines for a date-certain withdrawal from Iraq?

Our responsibility is to press the demand for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq (and, indeed, the complete cessation of all military action against Iraq—e.g., after ground troops are withdrawn we cannot allow an air war to continue).

But it’s also our responsibility to engage the legislative process with concrete demands that have a basis in the reality of power politics in Washington, D.C. Simply saying “withdraw now”, without any substantive legislative or political strategy, moves us to the land of the irrelevant—and, sadly, accepting a position of irrelevance ends up reinforcing the broad and lamentable complicity that we as U.S. citizens collectively bear for the blood-spilling in Iraq.

We must also have a solid grounding in the complexities of the supplemental war spending request for FY 2008. In particular, we should be prepared to refute the argument that a cut-off of funding will, “ipso facto”, further endanger troops currently deployed in Iraq. It is not necessary to be able to cross every “t” and dot every “i”, but the response should be grounded in an understanding of the war budget.

What follows is an effort to break down and analyze the various components of the military’s request for $142 billion in supplemental spending for FY 08. This analysis will focus upon the Army’s request for funding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Arguments similar to those detailed in the analysis of the Army’s spending request apply to the spending requests submitted by the Air Force and the Navy and Marine Corps. This analysis is based upon the voluminous materials that the various Armed Services submitted in February 2007 to justify and detail their budgetary requests. This material is available on the website of the Comptroller of the Department of Defense (www.defenselink.mil/comptroller). The data includes funding for both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The military services do not provide a break out by specific war.

AVERAGE TROOP STRENGTH IN FY 2008

The Fiscal Year 08 supplemental spending bill provides for full funding for current levels of troop strength through September 30, 2008. The slightly smaller number in FY 08 is likely due to a gradual end of the troop “surge” that was initiated this year.

Average Troop Strengths

Army Active Duty FY 2007 = 123,000 FY 2008 = 119,000
Army Reserve FY 2007 = 9,000 FY 2008 = 9,000
Army National Guard FY 2007 = 24,000 FY 2008 = 24,000
Total FY 2007 = 156,000 FY 2008 = 149,000
[FN-1]

Marine
Active Duty FY 2007 = 23,280 FY 2008 = 23,280
Reserve FY 2007 = 3,214 FY 2008 = 3,214
Total FY 2007 = 26,494 FY 2008 = 26,494
[FN-2]

Subsistence-in-Kind is a key indicator of the level of anticipated troop deployments during FY 08. The Army is budgeting for an average troop level of 159,580 troops in FY 08 compared to 170,771 in FY 07 (and 119,277 in FY 06). [FN-3]

Subsistence-in-Kind (SIK) is the provision of “…(food and drink) to Soldiers while deployed in support of both OEF and OIF. SIK includes the cost of procuring subsistence for garrison dining facilities (Subsistence in Messes), operational rations, and augmentation rations. The Army provides subsistence in mess facilities and operational rations for members of all military services participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). [FN-4]

The anticipated average number of Army units deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan is the final indicator that the U.S. plans to fully fund the wars through all of FY 08. The Army plans to maintain an average of 14 Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) in Iraq in FY 08, the same as in FY 06. It does reflect a draw down from the average of 18 BCT’s in FY 07, but that is simply because the troop surge of this year may wind down next year. The Army plans to maintain the same level of Combat Support Brigades and Combat Service Brigades in Iraq as in FY 06 and in FY 07. [FN-5].

Clearly the Department of Defense is not anticipating any significant reduction in military operations in Iraq any time soon. The Army’s justification material submitted in February 2007 for the Operation and Maintenance segment of its budget consistently uses the phrase: “The FY 2008 estimate assumes a level of effort consistent with the tempo of FY 2007 operations.” [FN-6]

OPERATION & MAINTENANCE - ARMY

Operation & Maintenance is by far the largest budget category. The Army seeks $46.2 billion for FY 08—or 33% of the total military request for FY 08. This category includes such subcategories as: equipment maintenance; body armor and other protective gear; the Logistical Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP); and OPTEMPO.

Equipment Maintenance – Army

“The troops in Iraq will be left without necessary supplies, equipment and weapons” is a common argument advanced to justify continued funding of the war in Iraq.

This argument can be refuted through an analysis of the Army’s justification materials for war funding. The following analysis focuses solely on the question about whether denying specific forms of funding might have a negative impact on troops currently deployed in Iraq. This analysis assumes that a cut off of funding would be tied to a safe and orderly withdrawal of these troops.

Theater Maintenance and Reset are the two broad categories of equipment maintenance. Theater Maintenance occurs in Southwest Asia: at forward repair bases in Iraq; or at repair facilities in Kuwait or Qatar. Reset occurs after a unit has redeployed to its home base from Iraq.

The Army is seeking to shift more repair work to Theater Maintenance, increasing its budget in this area to $2.3 billion in FY 08 (compared to $1.2 billion in FY 07). [FN-7] Unfortunately, the Army does not further break down how this $2.3 billion will be spent for each subcategory of Theater Maintenance. The subcategories include maintenance of Armored Security Vehicles and Stryker vehicles, explaining that the Stryker program “…provides for the support of the deployed and next deploying SBCT….Funding also supports SLAT armor (protection against Rocket Propelled Grenade attacks) removal / reconstitution (spare parts in-theater) and sustainment package for Ranger Stryker vehicles.” [FN-8] SBCT stands for “Stryker Brigade Combat Team”.

“Left Behind Equipment” is another subcategory within Theater Maintenance. The Army explains that “Upon deployment, units are required to leave behind certain items of equipment and draw from the Theater Provided Equipment (TPE). The equipment left behind in CONUS must be repaired in preparation for reissue. Due to the severe shortages of equipment in CONUS, a large majority of the equipment is redistributed to support next deploying units, activations and shortages within units undergoing Reset.” [FN-9]

This means that a unit deployed to Iraq leaves some of its equipment behind in the U.S. CONUS is short for the command for Continental United States. These deploying units then are issued equipment once they arrive in Iraq or Afghanistan (or at a staging area in Kuwait prior to entering Iraq).

It is clear that some unspecified portion of the $2.3 billion sought for Theater Maintenance is for troops currently deployed in either Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it is also clear that some unspecified portion is to repair equipment in-theater for use by troops in the process of being deployed to Iraq. It cannot plausibly be argued that cutting funds for the portion dedicated to repairing equipment for use by units in the process of being deployed to Iraq would in any way harm the troops currently deployed in Iraq (if, indeed, the goal is to withdraw from Iraq).

RESET OF EQUIPMENT

Reset is the other broad category of equipment maintenance and repair. Reset is the process of restoring a piece of equipment to full functionality. Reset takes place after a unit is redeployed to its home base outside of Iraq. The Army states that the higher demands placed upon equipment used in Iraq “…increase maintenance requirements for equipment employed in the theater and do not immediately curtail when units and equipment redeploy to home station. Maintenance and supply / resupply actions following redeployment restore the depth to our force…” [FN-10]

The Army seeks $7.8 billion for Reset for FY 08. That is 17% of the $46.2 billion sought by the Army in the supplemental for Operation and Maintenance. Since Reset is to prepare equipment for use by units that deploy back to Iraq—rather than units currently deployed in Iraq—eliminating Reset funds will not harm troops currently deployed in Iraq. It does not result in denying any troops currently deployed in Iraq any form of equipment necessary in Iraq.

BODY ARMOR AND OTHER PROTECTIVE GEAR - ARMY

The Army seeks $2.9 billion for “Clothing and Personal Equipment”. Of this amount, $1.1 billion is for Individual Body Armor; $1.3 billion for Other Force Protection; and $0.5 billion for the Rapid Fielding Initiative, which “…provides deployers and next deployers with enhanced individual clothing and equipment for increased force protection, mobility, survivability and lethality.” [FN-11]

The Individual Body Armor includes funds for the purchase of 150,000 sets of Next Generation Ballistic Plates, Side Plates and Outer Tactical Vests as well as 150,000 Improved Advanced Combat Helmets. [FN-12]

It can indeed be plausibly argued that the expenditure of these funds directly benefits troops deployed in Iraq. At the same time, these expenditures could be reduced if the U.S. begins the withdrawal of troops from Iraq with complete withdrawal from Iraq completed by either December 31, 2007 or March 31, 2008.

OPTEMPO and LOGCAP – Army

The Army is seeking $9.8 billion for OPTEMPO, the pace and tempo of operations. No further breakout of this amount is provided in the Army’s justification materials. The Army states, “The estimated average annual deployed force will consist of approximately 150,000 Soldiers conducting continuous operations in harsh conditions…Heavy units equipped with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles consume large amounts of resources (e.g., fuel, parts and supplies) during these types of operations…” [FN-13]

The Army seeks $6 billion for the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) in FY 08 compared to $5.1 billion in FY 07. LOGCAP is the civilian contract support which provides basic services to the military forces in theater. It is the contract made famous by Haliburton a few years back. LOGCAP includes such items as “…food services, power generation, electrical distribution, facilities management, dining facility operations, pest management…” and other services. [FN-14]

It can be plausibly argued that a reduction in the funds for OPTEMPO and for LOGCAP would have a negative impact upon troops deployed to Iraq. At the same time, it can be plausibly argued that the amount allocated for OPTEMPO could be reduced by withdrawing U.S. troops to their bases in Iraq as a prelude to withdrawal and then completing the withdrawal from Iraq. Similarly, the LOGCAP funding amount would be reduced by the draw down and complete withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq.

PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES, WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION

“If the supplemental budget isn’t passed, troops in Iraq will be without vehicles with upgraded armor to protect against IED’s; without ammunition; without combat vehicles”, or so the argument goes. Yet this argument is without merit—unless the U.S. fully intends to keep troops in Iraq for at least the next 18 to 36 months.

The procurement process spans three years. Simply because money is appropriated in the budget for a specific fiscal year does not mean that the money will be spent that year nor does it mean that the item being procured will be produced that fiscal year. Congress appropriates money in a fiscal year and grants authority to the Defense Department to enter into contracts for particular items. The Pentagon enters into contracts, obligating the funds to be paid to the company that produces the item. The company produces the item and delivers it to the Defense Department. All this takes place over a period of up to three years following the appropriation of funds.

To address this lag time in the normal procurement process, the Army established the “Rapid Equipping Force” and the “Rapid Fielding Initiative”. The funds for these programs are included in the Operation and Maintenance portion of the budget and were discussed in the section on “Individual Body Armor and Other Protective Gear” above.

The Army seeks $21.1 billion for Procurement in the FY 08 supplemental spending request. The total military request is for $36 billion in procurement funds. I’ll focus on just a handful of items to illustrate the procurement process and to refute the argument that failure to fund the procurement of these items will further endanger troops in Iraq by leaving them without vehicles, equipment or weapons—unless, of course, the U.S. intends to continue to wage the war in Iraq for up to 3 years into the future.

It should be noted that the following discussion applies to the military’s request for supplemental funding for procurement in Fiscal Year 2008. The Army is also seeking funding for many of the following items within its regular baseline military budget request.

*HMMWV – High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle

The Army is seeking $1.3 billion in supplemental spending in FY 08 to procure 6690 HMMWV’s, “…a lightweight, high performance…family of tactical vehicles…” (known in the popular lexicon as Humvees). Those purchased will have “…integrated armor and safety initiatives such as fire suppression and safety restraints…” [FN-15].

The first HMMWV procured with FY 08 supplemental funds will be delivered to the Army in January 2009. The last one will be delivered in December 2009. [FN –16].

*Armored Security Vehicle - ASV

The Army seeks $302 million in supplemental funding in FY 08 to “…procure 371 ASV. The ASV is used by the Military Police (MP) to perform missions of Area Security, maneuver and Mobility Support, Police Intelligence Operations, and Law and Order Operations….ASV is also used by MPs to conduct Force Protection and Stabilization Operations in a war environment. Additionally, ASV is increasingly being used as a Convoy Protection Platform for Combat Support and Combat Services Support Units.” [FN-17]

The first Armored Security Vehicle funded by the FY 08 supplemental is scheduled to be delivered in June 2009. The last will be delivered in April 2010. [FN-18]

*Modification of In-Service Equipment

The Army seeks $1.1 billion in supplemental funding for various modifications to various pieces of in-service equipment. Modifications include: “Fragmentation (FRAG) Kit #3 provides armored protection around the HMMWV fuel tank. FRAG Kit #4 provides armored panel protection to the vehicle underbody for HMWWV and M915A2.” [FN-19]

The FRAG Kit #3 “…design is 95% complete…” as of the February 2007 Army justification materials. The first output of this kit is scheduled for the first quarter of FY 2009 (which is October – December 08) with the last output of kits set for the fourth quarter of FY 09 (which is July – September 09). [FN-20]

FRAG Kit #4—armor for the underbelly of the HMMWV—further illustrates the reality that funds appropriated for procurement will not end up providing equipment to troops currently deployed in Iraq. The Army notes in its justification material that two prior designs failed in the design and testing phases and states that “Currently, theater, ARL, ATEC and TARDEC are trying a 3rd generation design to another set of requirements. Currently, this effort is in the early design phase and any successful Proof of Principle testing will require a MINIMUM of 180 days to develop and successfully integrate onto the M1114 UAH and M1151 Family.”

The installation schedule provides for the first output of FRAG Kit #4 to occur in the second quarter of FY 09 (January – March 2010) with the final output scheduled in the first quarter of FY 10 (Oct to December 2010). [FN-21]

*Bradley Base Sustainment

The Army seeks $1.4 billion to procure 481 recapitalized (upgraded) Bradley vehicles. The “…A3 conversion improves on the Operation Desert Storm (ODS) variant through the addition of two 2nd Generation Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) devices, upgraded core electronics, improved ballistic fire control systems, enhanced command and control, situational awareness, and a collective Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) protection system.” [FN-22]

The contract is scheduled to be awarded in November 2007, with the date of first delivery to be in March 2009. The last vehicles are set to be delivered in February 2010. [FN-23]

*Stryker Vehicle Modifications

The Army seeks $0.5 billion in supplemental funding to procure “…additional Survivability Enhancements for Stryker Vehicles (both 1 inch Slat armor and Stryker Reactive Armor Tiles (SRAT))…” [FN-24]

The contract is scheduled to be awarded in July 2008, with the first delivery of the Stryker vehicle set for August 2009. Vehicles will be produced through July 2010. [FN-25].

*Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles

The Army seeks $48 million to procure 148 sets of Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles. [FN-26]. “The tiles provide increased armor protection and crew survivability against shaped charge threats…” [FN-27].

The contract is scheduled to be awarded in June 2008 with the first set of 84 tiles to be delivered in June 2009 and the second set of 64 tiles to be delivered in the fourth quarter of FY 09 (July – September 2009). [FN-28]

*Abrams Upgrade

The Army seeks $1.3 billion in supplemental funding to upgrade 235 M1/M1A1 tanks to the M1A2 System Enhancement Program configuration which “…has improved frontal and side armor for enhance crew survivability.” [FN-29]

The first upgraded vehicle is to be delivered in January 2009 with the last being delivered in December 2009. [FN-30]

*Ammunition

One might think that ammunition would be very readily and quickly produced and delivered after Congress has appropriated funds to procure ammunition. You’d be wrong. The earliest that any ammunition procured with the supplemental spending package would be delivered is May 2008, with delivery continued through May 2009. That’s for a single item—the CTG 12 Gauge Breaching Round “…used to gain access through high doors and entryways.” [FN-31]

Otherwise, the earliest expected date for delivery of a procured ammunition item would be in October of 2008. Most items would not begin to be delivered to the Army until January 2009 (or later), with delivery continuing into 2010. [FN-32]

ENDNOTES

1) p. 4. “Operation and Maintenance, Army: Justification Book, Volume I”, Department of the Army, Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Supplemental Budget Estimates, February 2007.

2) Department of the Navy. FY 2008 GWOT Request. Operation and Maintenance, Marine Corps. O-1 Line Item Summary, in Department of the Navy. Fiscal Year (FY) 2008/2009 Budget Estimates. Justification of Estimates. FY 2008 Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Request, February 2007.

3) p. 31. Army Military Personnel. Department of Defense. FY 2008 Supplemental Request for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). February 2007.

4) Ibid, p. 4.

5) op. cit., “Operation and Maintenance, Army”, p. 4

6) See for example, Ibid, p. 7, 8, 10, 11.

7) Ibid. p. 16

8) Ibid, p. 17

9) Ibid, p. 17

10) Ibid, p. 22

11) Ibid, p. 8 and 9

12) Ibid, p. 8

13) Ibid, p. 13

14) Ibid, p. 13

15) p. 19. “Other Procurement, Army: Tactical and Support Vehicles, Budget Activity 1”, Department of the Army, Procurement Programs, Committee Staff Procurement Backup Book, FY 2008 Global War on Terror Budget Estimate. February 2007.

16) Ibid, p. 22

17) Ibid, p. 59

18) Ibid, p. 62 and 63

19) Ibid, p. 91

20) Ibid, p. 97

21) Ibid, p. 125

22) p. 3. Department of the Army; Procurement Programs; Committee Staff Procurement Backup Book; FY 2008 Global War on Terror Budget Estimate; Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army. February 2007.

23) Ibid., p. 5, 6, 7

24) Ibid, p. 9

25) Ibid, p. 13, 14, and 15

26) Ibid, p. 25

27) Ibid, p. 27.

28) Ibid, p. 27

29) Ibid, p. 58

30) Ibid, p. 62

31) p. 40 and 42. Department of the Army: Procurement Programs; Committee Staff Procurement Backup Book; FY 2008 Global War On Terror Budget Estimate; Procurement of Ammunition, Army. February 2007.

32) Ibid.

Short Information Teaser

A comprehensive analysis of the 2008 Iraq war funding request--a must read.

Project

The Occupation Project

Excerpt

By Jeff Leys
Co-Coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence
jeffleys@vcnv.org
May 8, 2007

Download as Word Document
Download as PDF
MAY 17: Audio Discussion of Iraq and Afghanistan Supplemental Spending 2008

Don’t lose the forest for the trees.

Take Action: House & Senate to Vote on Iraq War Funding This Week; Prepare for Civil Disobedience

Jeff Leys — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 21:39:24 -0500

Short Information Teaser

Congress to vote on War Funding This Week; Prepares to Consider War Funding into 2008

Excerpt

Actions Needed to End Iraq War Funding
April 22, 2007

Please call your Representative and Senators and tell them to vote against the supplemental spending bill to continue funding the Iraq war. You can call the Congressional switchboard at 1-202-224-3121 and be connected.

Prepare for civil disobedience in June and July at the offices of Representatives and Senators who refuse to publicly commit to vote against any additional funding for the Iraq war for Fiscal Year 2008 (which begins on October 1).

Body

Actions Needed to End Iraq War Funding
April 22, 2007

Please be in contact with the Occupation Project via email at occupationproject@vcnv.org about actions you are planning in your area or for assistance.

Please keep reading for more background information.

HOUSE AND SENATE TO VOTE ON FINAL VERSION OF IRAQ WAR FUNDING BILL THIS WEEK

This Monday, April 23, conference committee members of the House of Representatives and the Senate will meet to hammer out final details on the final version of the supplemental spending bill that will provide about $100 billion to continue funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indications are that the final version of the supplemental spending bill will include the Senate’s version of “withdrawal” language, which simply sets the GOAL of withdrawal by March 2008, does not set a firm timetable for withdrawal and, even at that, would potentially leave significant numbers of U.S. troops in Iraq for such purposes as protecting infrastructure, protecting U.S. personnel and the embassy, and conducting “targeted” counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist military actions.

The House is expected to vote on this final version on Wednesday. The Senate is expected to vote on Thursday (according to a report on GovExec.com )

Please call your Representative and your Senators today to tell them to vote against any additional funding for the war in and occupation of Iraq.

The Congressional switchboard phone number is 1-202-224-3121. You’ll be connected to the correct offices from here.

CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IN JUNE & JULY TO RESIST IRAQ WAR FUNDING INTO 2008

June and July will be key months in which to engage in sustained nonviolent civil disobedience to end funding for the war in and occupation of Iraq. It is likely that the House and Senate will be voting on whether to provide an additional $145 billion in war spending for Fiscal Year 2008 (which runs from October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008).

If Congress acts as it has in prior years, this $145 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will be included in the same bill as the regular military budget. The Iraq - Afghanistan portion will be carved out as a separate category within the appropriations bill. In the past it was referred to as a “bridge fund” or as a “supplemental” to the regular military budget.

The following time periods seem to be the most likely times for House and Senate action on funding the wars (based upon when the regular defense appropriations bill was acted upon in prior years):

June

First or second week - voting by the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee
Second or third week - voting by the House Appropriations Committee
Third or fourth week - voting by the full House of Representatives

July

First or second week - voting by the Senate Appropriations Committee
Third or fourth week - voting by the full Senate

Of course, the above time frames could shift to be a week or two earlier or a week or two later (especially in the Senate). It will be important to follow the actions of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees as the bill winds its way through each body.

It is also possible that the Democratic party leadership will opt to carve out the appropriations to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as a separate and distinct bill. However, it is probable that the timeline for consideration of such a bill would follow a timeline similar to that of the regular Department of Defense Appropriations bill. Both the House and the Senate are in recess from August 6 through September 3. They will likely want to have the Iraq - Afghanistan war spending bill in place prior to the recess so that when they return in September they can meet in conference committee with the aim of having a final bill ready to vote on before the end of the month.

VCNV Author

Jeff Leys

Project

The Occupation Project