    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 29, 2007]
    [Pages 1505-1506]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Briefing by Senior Department of Defense Officials
    in Arlington, Virginia
    November 29, 2007

        Good afternoon. Thanks for coming. I just finished briefings with
    Secretary Gates, Deputy Secretary
    England, Admiral Mullen, and the Joint Chiefs. We discussed the long-term needs of
    our military services and the importance of progressing with
    modernization.
        The men and women of this Department, the Department of Defense, are
    helping to carry out the Government's most important duty: protecting
    the American people. Every day, they confront America's enemies. Every
    day, they work to stop the spread of dangerous weapons. And every day,
    they guard against those seeking to bring another day of destruction to
    our shores. The missions of this Department are essential to saving
    Americans' lives, and they are too important to be disrupted or delayed
    or put at risk.
        Beginning in February, I submitted detailed funding requests to the
    United States Congress to fund operations in the war on terror. Our
    military has waited on these funds for months. The funds include money
    to carry out combat operations against the enemy in Afghanistan and
    Iraq; they include money to train the Afghan and Iraqi security forces
    to take on more responsibility for the defense of their countries; they
    include money for intelligence operations to protect our troops on the
    battlefield.
        Pentagon officials have warned Congress that the continued delay in
    funding our troops will soon begin to have a damaging impact on the
    operations of this Department. The warning has been laid out for the
    United States Congress to hear.
        Recently, Secretary Gates sought to
    clear up any misperception that the Department can fund our troops for
    an indefinite period simply by shifting money around. In fact, Congress
    limits how much money can be moved from one account to the other.
    Secretary Gates has already notified Congress that he will transfer
    money from accounts used to fund other activities of the military
    services to pay for current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and no
    more money can be moved. So he has directed the Army and Marine Corps to
    develop a plan to lay off civilian employees, to terminate contracts,
    and to prepare our military bases across the country for reduced
    operations. These are contingency steps that a prudent manager must
    take.
        Secretary Gates and America's senior
    military officials have made a reasoned case to Congress for the funds
    they need to keep the military running. They have carefully explained
    the need to plan prudently should those funds not be forthcoming.
    Secretary Gates puts it this way: ``The Defense Department is like the
    world's biggest supertanker. It cannot turn on a dime, and I cannot
    steer it like a skiff.''
        The American people expect us to work together to support our
    troops. That's what they want. They do not want the Government to create
    needless uncertainty for those defending our country and uncertainty for
    their families. They do not want disputes in Washington to undermine our
    troops in Iraq just as they're seeing clear signs of success.
        Here in Washington, leaders have a responsibility to send the right
    message to the rest of the world. Let us tell our enemies that America
    will do what it takes to defeat them. Let us tell Afghans and Iraqis
    that we will stand with them as they take the fight to our common
    enemies. Let us tell our men and women in uniform that we will give them
    what they need to succeed in their missions, without strings and without
    delay.

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        I ask Congress to provide this essential funding to our troops
    before the Members leave on their Christmas vacation. And I thank the
    members of this Department for their hard work, their sacrifice, their
    courage, and their dedication to peace.
        God bless.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:59 p.m. at the Pentagon.