    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [April 7, 2007]
    [Pages 393-395]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    April 7, 2007

        Good morning. This week, people around the world celebrate Passover
    and Easter. These holy days remind us of the presence of a loving God
    who delivers His people from oppression and offers a love more powerful
    than death. We take joy in spending this special time with family and
    friends, and we give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.
        One of our greatest blessings as Americans is that we have brave
    citizens who step forward to defend us. Every man or woman who wears our
    Nation's uniform is a volunteer, a patriot who has made the noble
    decision to serve a cause larger than self. This weekend, many of our
    service men and women are celebrating the holidays far from home. They
    are separated from their families by great distances, but

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    they are always close in our thoughts. And this Passover and Easter, I
    ask you to keep them in your prayers.
        Our men and women in uniform deserve the gratitude of every
    American. And from their elected leaders, they deserve something more:
    the funds, resources, and equipment they need to do their jobs.
        Sixty-one days have passed since I sent Congress an emergency war
    spending bill to provide the funds our troops urgently need. But instead
    of approving that vital funding, Democrats in Congress have spent the
    past 61 days working to pass legislation that would substitute the
    judgment of politicians in Washington for the judgment of our generals
    in the field.
        In both the House and Senate, Democratic majorities have passed
    bills that would impose restrictions on our military commanders, set an
    arbitrary date for withdrawal from Iraq, and fund domestic spending that
    has nothing to do with the war. The Democrats who passed these bills
    know that I will veto either version if it reaches my desk, and they
    know my veto will be sustained. Yet they continue to pursue the
    legislation. And now the process is on hold for 2 weeks, until the full
    Congress returns to session.
        I recognize that Democrats are trying to show their current
    opposition to the war in Iraq. They see the emergency war spending bill
    as a chance to make that statement. Yet for our men and women in
    uniform, this emergency war spending bill is not a political statement,
    it is a source of critical funding that has a direct impact on their
    daily lives.
        When Congress does not fund our troops on the frontlines, our
    military is forced to make cuts in other areas to cover the shortfall.
    Military leaders have warned Congress about this problem. The Chairman
    of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pete Pace,
    recently testified that if Congress fails to pass a bill I can sign by
    mid-April, the Army will be forced to consider cutting back on training,
    equipment repair, and quality of life initiatives for our Guard and
    Reserve forces. In a letter to Congress, Army Chief of Staff Pete
    Schoomaker put it this way: ``Without
    approval of the supplemental funds in April, we will be forced to take
    increasingly draconian measures, which will impact Army readiness and
    impose hardships on our soldiers and their families.''
        If Congress fails to pass a bill I can sign by mid-May, the problems
    grow even more acute. The Army will be forced to consider slowing or
    even freezing funding for depots where pivotal equipment is repaired,
    delaying or curtailing the training of some active duty forces, and
    delaying the formation of new brigade combat teams. The bottom line is
    that Congress's failure to fund our troops will mean that some of our
    military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from
    the frontlines, and others could see their loved ones headed back to war
    sooner than they need to. That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it
    is unacceptable to the American people.
        The full Congress will not be back from spring vacation until the
    week of April 16th. That means the soonest the House and Senate could
    get a bill to my desk will be sometime late this month, after the
    adverse consequences for our troops and their families have already
    begun. For our troops, the clock is ticking. If the Democrats continue
    to insist on making a political statement, they should send me their
    bill as soon as possible. I will veto it, and then Congress can go to
    work on a good bill that gives our troops the funds they need, without
    strings and without further delay.
        We have our differences in Washington, DC, but our troops should not
    be caught in the middle. All who serve in elected office have a solemn
    responsibility to provide for our men and women in uniform. We need to
    put partisan politics aside and do our duty to those who defend us.
        Thank you for listening.

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    Note: The address was recorded at 8:20 a.m. on April 6 at the Bush Ranch
    in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on April 7. The transcript
    was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on April 6, but
    was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of the Press
    Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this address.