"Sen. Schumer only wants to fund pay, body armor and chow for the troops if he can put conditions on the money so that they cannot do the mission they have been ordered to do."–Rep. Heather Wilson to the Associated Press
On Friday, Nov. 16, Republicans in Congress blocked a $50 billion bill by Democrats that would have paid for a few months of combat but also ordered troop withdrawal within 30 days. Now Democrats plan to sit on President Bush's $196 billion request for war funding until next year, causing a financial nightmare for the Pentagon that may result in the Defense Department tapping into its core budget. To this end, Sen. Chuck Schumer said that for the Bush administration, "The days of a free lunch are over." Wilson then jumped into the debate, responding with the above comment and saying Schumer should apologize to the troops. (CC)
