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In these times where Republicans have vowed to say no to anything and everything, including talk of shutting down the government, there is always one thing they can agree on in a last minute love fest of brotherhood. War funding and endless gobs of Offense spending cash.
What, did you hear about the huge and bitter debate, no, well that is because there wasn't any. When it comes to funding war, our government has no debate outside of telling defense contractors, 'how much you need boys', it is time to spread some holiday cheer.
House approves billions for wars without debate
House approves billions for wars without debate - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101217/ap_on_re_us/us_defense_spending - broken link)
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The House on Friday passed legislation that authorizes the Pentagon to spend nearly $160 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this budget year without major restrictions on the conduct of operations.
The 341-48 vote on the defense authorization bill came after House and Senate Democrats agreed
I'm sorry Democrats, but this is what I'm talking about. Now I understand that not all Democrats are or were anti-war, trust me, I get it. I also understand that people wanted to believe that Afghanistan was the right war to fight and gave Obama a blank check to do as he may. I understand that there are consequences to just leaving this theater. Ok, I get all that, but what I don't get is this part, "No debate".
Surely among all those people in Congress there would be one person, one human being with the courage to make an issue out of our costly wars. Heck, if they wish to vote it down 534 to 1, fine, but when no one has the guts to make an issue out of discussing this most important issue, there is something seriously rotten.
A majority of Americans want an end to our wars and bloody occupations in the quagmires of the Middle East, but even with the majority of Americans holding this view, Congress doesn't even take the time to debate it.
I get the feeling the Democrats are something akin to a teenager who saw the dog go poo on the living room floor but walked away saying to themselves, "If I pretend I didn't see it I won't have to clean it up and mom will do it". Republicans on the other hand have to guts to stand there and just look at it, breathing in the stink and looking mom dead in the eyes and saying, "Thats no my dog".
So what kind of money are we taking here anyway, amid these times when Republicans vow to cut spending and deficits?
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This year's bill agreed to $725 billion in (offense) defense programs, including $158.7 billion for overseas combat.
What is included in this bill, the usual stuff.
• Up to $75 million to train and equip Yemeni counter-terrorism forces;
• $205 million for a program with Israel to develop its "Iron Dome" defense system;
• $11.6 billion for the development of the Afghan security forces, and $1.5 billion for Iraqi security forces.
What had to be stripped in order to make it a bumper holiday season for the Republicans?
Senate Democrats agreed to strip several provisions, including one that would have allowed gays to serve openly in the military and another that would have authorized abortions at overseas military facilities.
I can only pray that Republicans increase offense spending another 260 billion dollars a year to make it an even TRILLION dollar a year enrichment program for starving offense contractors, or maybe start a war with Iran and send gas prices above 5-6 bucks a gallon and watching this country get flushed down the toilet of insolvency. The only way the American people are going to do anything is if they are living under a bridge eating rat meat while watching their children starve. Outside of this, its time for Dancing with the Stars, and I need to move the chalk board.
This year's bill agreed to $725 billion in (offense) defense programs, including $158.7 billion for overseas combat.
I'm not in favor of this at all. Unless and until REAL cuts happen, the defense budget, as well as all others, will continue to grow and grow and grow.
25% across the board cut in discretionary spending, including defense.
Sickening... I have no words for this travesty. While millions of Americans are hungry and sick the morons (that collect a salary and benefits on our dime) on the Hill throw OUR money around to the wind.
Please tell me there were at least a few good men/women that voted against?!
In these times where Republicans have vowed to say no to anything and everything, including talk of shutting down the government, there is always one thing they can agree on in a last minute love fest of brotherhood. War funding and endless gobs of Offense spending cash.
You have a problem with your premise about the republicans.
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The 341-48 vote on the defense authorization bill
The democrats didn't need one, single, solitary republican to vote for the bill.
Why are you railing on the republicans? The dems control the House, by 70+ votes.
I'm not in favor of this at all. Unless and until REAL cuts happen, the defense budget, as well as all others, will continue to grow and grow and grow.
25% across the board cut in discretionary spending, including defense.
I'll go along with that, its a good start.
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Originally Posted by wellyouknow
Sickening... I have no words for this travesty. While millions of Americans are hungry and sick the morons (that collect a salary and benefits on our dime) on the Hill throw OUR money around to the wind.
Please tell me there were at least a few good men/women that voted against?!
Any more when my government tends to agree upon things in a "matter of fact" kind of fashion, it sends chills down my spine and I have to wonder, what are the crooks up to that I don't know.
You have a problem with your premise about the republicans.
The democrats didn't need one, single, solitary republican to vote for the bill.
Why are you railing on the republicans? The dems control the House, by 70+ votes.
Show me one Republican other than Ron Paul who said, "I think we need to discuss the funding of these wars and occupations".
Of the 48 votes against, how many were Republican and how many were Democrats?
Besides, the point isn't even what the vote is, my point is that there is no discussion, no debate on the issue what so ever.
House approves billions for wars without debate
I even said so in the OP.
Quote:
I'm sorry Democrats, but this is what I'm talking about. Now I understand that not all Democrats are or were anti-war, trust me, I get it. I also understand that people wanted to believe that Afghanistan was the right war to fight and gave Obama a blank check to do as he may. I understand that there are consequences to just leaving this theater. Ok, I get all that, but what I don't get is this part, "No debate".
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I'll go along with that, its a good start.
