Bush´s budget over Iraq war blamed among Democrats and Republicans

Source: CCTV.com | 02-06-2007 15:59

US President George W. Bush has sent a 2.9 trillion dollar spending plan to a Democratic-controlled Congress. He asked for billions more to fight the war in Iraq, while squeezing the government to meet his goal of eliminating the deficit in five years.

Bush unveiled a 2.9 trillion US dollar budget request for fiscal year 2008, certain to stoke growing frustrations among Democrats and even some Republicans over the Iraq war.

In total, Bush's budget authorizes 717 billion US dollars in military spending between now and September 2008. The request included a rise of more than 10 percent for the regular Pentagon budget. Some of that rise would pay for a permanent increase in the military. In Bush's view, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost over 235 billion US dollars.

The release of the budget seems sure to kick off months of debate. Democrats have made clear that they have significantly different views on spending and taxes. And they are now in control of both the House and Senate for the first time in Bush's presidency.

Kent Conrad, US senator, democrat, said, "I would characterize this proposal as filled with debt and deception, it's disconnected from reality and it continues to move America in the wrong direction."

As Bush waved away the possibility of setting a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq, the drop in war spending in 2009 from 2008 also left some Democrats suspicious.

John Spratt, House Budget Comm. chairman, democrat, said, "Can this be the likely path of expenditure? They're asking for 140 one year and 50 the next year, you have to suspect that that's not a full accounting."

Will Congress give Bush the tax payers' money to spend on a war they see as having little hope of winning? Or, are they ready to take the blame for losing the war for not giving enough financial support? Months of debate and wrangling lie ahead before these questions can be settled.

Editor:Du Xiaodan