    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 23 (Monday, June 16, 2008)]
    [Pages 801-802]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    The President's Radio Address

    June 7, 2008

        Good morning. Congress will soon vote on legislation to fund our
    troops serving on the frontlines of the war on terror. This is an
    opportunity for Congress to give our men and women in uniform the tools
    they need to protect us, and Congress should approve these vital funds
    immediately.

    [[Page 802]]

        Congress has had this funding request for more than a year, and
    there is no reason for further delay. This money is urgently needed to
    support military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I put forward some
    reasonable requirements this bill must meet. First, this bill must give
    our troops the resources they need to defeat the terrorists and
    extremists. Second, the bill must not tie the hands of our commanders.
    And third, the bill must not exceed the reasonable and responsible
    funding levels I have requested.
        Congress has had 16 months to decide how they will meet these
    requirements, and now the time has come for them to support our troops
    in harm's way. If Congress does not act, critical accounts at the
    Department of Defense will soon run dry. At the beginning of next month,
    civilian employees may face temporary layoffs. The Department will have
    to close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off
    the streets and into jobs. The Pentagon will run out of money it needs
    to support critical day-to-day operations that help keep our Nation
    safe. And after July, the Department will no longer be able to pay our
    troops, including those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
        Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve better than
    this. Around the world, our troops are taking on dangerous missions with
    skill and determination. In Afghanistan, they're delivering blows to the
    Taliban and Al Qaida. In Iraq, they've helped bring violence down to its
    lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down.
    Sectarian killings are down. As security has improved, the economy has
    improved as well, and political reconciliation is taking place at the
    grassroots and national levels. The Iraqi security forces are becoming
    more capable, and as they do, our troops are beginning to come home
    under a policy of return on success.
        Each day, the men and women of our Armed Forces risk their lives to
    make sure their fellow citizens are safer. They serve with courage and
    honor. They've earned the respect of all Americans. And they deserve the
    full support of Congress. I often hear Members of Congress say they
    oppose the war but still support the troops. Now they have a chance to
    prove it. Congress should pass a responsible funding bill that gives our
    men and women in uniform the resources they need and the support they
    have earned.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 10:30 a.m. on June 6 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 7. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 6 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.