[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S5156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           IRAQ SUPPLEMENTAL

  Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, I was precluded from speaking prior to 
the vote taken on the Iraq supplemental. I am going to speak for about 
15 minutes at this time and voice my strong opposition, as Senator 
Shelby, to the conference report that just passed this body. This bill 
is a highly irresponsible bill showing both a disregard for taxpayer 
money and our American service people. It is probably the most 
dangerous bill I have seen in over 20 years of service in the Congress 
of the United States.
  I don't say that lightly. Last month I came to the floor to voice my 
opposition to the emergency supplemental spending bill. I wanted a 
clean bill that the President could sign into law. Instead, today we 
passed a bill that ties troop funding to arbitrary withdrawal deadlines 
and billions and billions of dollars in unrelated spending.
  Now, 3 weeks later, we find ourselves with essentially the same piece 
of legislation. It is an insult to the men and women who serve in our 
armed services. Funding our troops is not a political game. We are a 
nation at war. There are unexpected costs and needs that must be 
continued to promote our freedoms and troops at home and help them 
succeed in Iraq. That is why we have emergency supplemental 
legislation. It is used to meet the immediate needs of the men and 
women in the Armed Forces on our frontlines.
  The extra spending goes beyond emergency needs and, instead, adds 
additional nondefense funds that are not necessary right now. There is 
a lot of fat in this bill that the Senate should consider under the 
regular appropriations process. That is what appropriations bills are 
all about. The hurricanes of 2005 were truly devastating. I have 
supported the Government's rebuilding efforts in the region. But the 
bill before us today includes billions of dollars in unrequested and 
unnecessary funding for the Corps of Engineers. These provisions are 
inappropriate for a wartime supplemental.
  Another area of extra spending relates to agriculture. I have been a 
strong supporter of America's farmers, but the programs in this bill do 
not belong in a supplemental wartime bill. I cannot justify $20 million 
for dairy farmers and $60 million for salmon fisheries in the Pacific 
Northwest. This bill is about our troops, not our farmers. There are 
even more glaring examples in this conference report: $18 million for 
drought assistance in the upper Midwest; $25 million for NASA 
facilities in the gulf region; $10 million for historic preservation 
funds. This bill doubles the 20 million I opposed for asbestos 
abatement at the Capitol powerplant. The list goes on.
  I am ashamed that this Congress believes it can solve its own 
budgetary problems on the backs of our fighting men and women.
  Finally, instead of helping our troops, this supplemental bill only 
ends up offending them. We ought to be sending a clear message of 
support for our men and women in harm's way. It should be clear that 
this Congress and this country will make sure that the men and women of 
our Armed Forces have the necessary supplies and resources to carry out 
their missions. Unfortunately, this legislation only serves to 
undermine our military missions. It pulls the rug right out from under 
our troops, just as we are at a point of seeing some signs of increased 
security in Baghdad.
  To me, this bill is a strategy for defeat. It sends a detrimental 
message to our troops and only serves to embolden our enemies. It tells 
the terrorists: Mark your calendars with our date for withdrawal from 
Iraq; sit and wait for us to get out.
  Like many of my colleagues, I had the opportunity to hear firsthand 
from my good friend, David Petraeus, yesterday about the current 
situation in Iraq. I am sorry it was a very highly classified briefing 
or I would share those things with the Senate. But I want to give the 
mood of his report. He was very frank in his report. The situation in 
Iraq is not any closer to being resolved than it was 2 months ago when 
his mission started. The country still suffers from violent sectarian 
strife and is at war with a cluster of enemies, including primarily al-
Qaida, Osama bin Laden, Sunni insurgents, and Shia radicals. The other 
side of the aisle has already said the war is lost. But we haven't even 
given the President's plan a chance to work. We still have a long way 
to go in Iraq, but sectarian killings have dropped dramatically since 
January. There is greater cooperation between the U.S. forces and the 
Iraqi Army, and we are beginning to see the Iraqi people work toward 
complete sovereignty.
  We should not dictate arbitrary guidelines for the future. The Iraqi 
Government is still in a critical development stage. It must be given 
the time and room to grow with our guidance. The same Senators and 
Congressmen calling for an immediate withdrawal from Iraq or setting an 
arbitrary withdrawal date do not discuss the ramifications of such an 
action. It may be because they know that immediate withdrawal from Iraq 
would be disastrous to the Middle East and threaten international 
stability and our national defense. Withdrawal is not a viable option. 
If we leave Iraq prematurely, we lose. Peace-loving people in Iraq 
lose, and Islamic radicals and al-Qaida win. That is the situation we 
are in today. We need to be honest about it as we proceed forward.
  I have voted against past withdrawal language and voted against it 
again today. Setting a withdrawal deadline will have grave consequences 
for the United States. It will put our national security at risk. After 
the President vetoes this bill--and we sustain his veto--we need to 
refocus our attention and our productive manner on how to best help our 
commanders on the ground to achieve success in Iraq. No arbitrary 
timetable, no billions of dollars in unrelated pork--we need a clean 
bill that funds our men and women in uniform and gives them a chance 
for success.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.

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