    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 17 (Monday, April 30, 2007)]
    [Pages 514-515]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on Congressional Action on Emergency Supplemental Appropriations

    April 24, 2007

        Good morning. Seventy-eight days ago, I sent Congress a request for
    emergency war funding that our troops urgently need. I made it clear to
    Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill that I'm willing to discuss our
    differences on the way forward in Iraq. But I also made it clear, our
    troops should not be caught in the middle of that discussion.
        Yesterday Democratic leaders announced that they plan to send me a
    bill that will fund our troops only if we agree to handcuff our
    generals, add billions of dollars in unrelated spending, and begin to
    pull out of Iraq by an arbitrary date. I'm disappointed that the
    Democratic leadership has chosen this course.
        The bill they announced yesterday includes some of the worst parts
    of the measures they had earlier passed with narrow majorities in the
    House and the Senate. They know I'm going to veto a bill containing
    these provisions, and they know that my veto will be sustained. But
    instead of fashioning a bill I could sign, the Democratic leaders chose
    to further delay funding our troops, and they chose to make a political
    statement. That's their right, but it is wrong for our troops, and it's
    wrong for our country.
        To accept the bill proposed by the Democratic leadership would be to
    accept a policy that directly contradicts the judgment of our military
    commanders. I strongly believe that the Democrats' proposal would
    undermine our troops and threaten the safety of the American people here
    at home. And here is why.
        First, a proposal would mandate the withdrawal of American troops
    beginning as early as July 1st of this year, and no later than October
    1st of this year, despite the fact that General Petraeus has not yet
    received all the reinforcements he needs. It makes no sense to tell the
    enemy when you start to plan withdrawing. If we were to do so, the enemy
    would simply mark their calendars and begin plotting how to take over a
    country when we leave.
        We know what could happen next. Just as Al Qaida used Afghanistan as
    a base to plan attacks of September the 11th, Al Qaida could make Iraq a
    base to plan even more deadly attacks. The lesson of 9/11 is that
    allowing terrorists to find a sanctuary anywhere in the world can have
    deadly consequences on the streets of our own cities.
        Precipitous withdrawal from Iraq is not a plan to bring peace to the
    region or to make our people safer at home. Instead, it would

    [[Page 515]]

    embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America is weak. It
    could unleash chaos in Iraq that could spread across the entire region.
    It would be an invitation to the enemy to attack America and our friends
    around the world. And, ultimately, a precipitous withdrawal would
    increase the probability that American troops would one day have to
    return to Iraq and confront an enemy that's even more dangerous.
        Second, the Democratic leadership's proposal is aimed at restricting
    the ability of our generals to direct the fight in Iraq. They've imposed
    legislative mandates--they passed legislative mandates telling them
    which enemies they can engage and which they cannot. That means our
    commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting
    directions from legislators 6,000 miles away on Capitol Hill. The result
    would be a marked advantage for our enemies and a greater danger for our
    troops.
        Third, the bill proposed by Democratic leaders would spend billions
    of dollars on projects completely unrelated to the war. Proposed
    legislation does remove some of the most egregious porkbarrel projects
    that Democratic leaders had inserted in earlier bills. Yet it still
    includes huge amounts of domestic spending that has no place in an
    emergency war funding bill. We should debate those provisions on their
    own merits, during the normal process, but funding for our troops should
    not be held hostage while that debate unfolds.
        I know that Americans have serious concerns about this war. People
    want our troops to come home, and so do I. But no matter how frustrating
    the fight can be and no matter how much we wish the war was over, the
    security of our country depends directly on the outcome in Iraq. The
    price of giving up there would be paid in American lives for years to
    come. It would be an unforgivable mistake for leaders in Washington to
    allow politics and impatience to stand in the way of protecting the
    American people.
        Last November, the American people said they were frustrated and
    wanted change in our strategy in Iraq. I listened. Today, General David
    Petraeus is carrying out a strategy that is dramatically different from
    our previous course. The American people did not vote for failure, and
    that is precisely what the Democratic leadership's bill would guarantee.
        It's not too late for Congress to do the right thing and to send me
    a bill that gives our troops and their commanders the funds and
    flexibility they need. I'm willing to meet with leaders in Congress as
    many times as it takes to resolve our differences. Yet if the Democratic
    leaders insist on using the bill to make a political statement, they
    will leave me with only one option: I will veto it. And then I'll work
    with Congress to pass a clean bill that funds our troops without
    handcuffing our commanders, spending billions of dollars unrelated to
    the war, and forcing our Nation to withdraw on the enemy's terms.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:13 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Gen. David H. Petraeus, USA,
    commanding general, Multi-National Force--Iraq.