[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.