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White House warns of Xmas military furlough notice
by Mark Silva
Merry Christmas from Washington: With Congress balking at continued war funding, the White House says the Defense Department will issue furlough notices to about 100,000 civilian workers at military bases in mid-December.
The threat of notices is the White House’s way of reminding Congress that it must authorize continued funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The House has voted to tie $50 billion in continued funding to a timeline for troop withdrawals, but that measure has been shelved in the Senate. The White House is calling on Congress to approve a spending bill before year’s end. If funding isn’t provided, the Defense Department says, the stall will have a “profoundly’’ burdensome impact on its operations.
“Before you furlough anyone, you have to provide notice,’’ White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said this morning. “If Congress provides the full funding, then the Department of Defense will not have to take the step’’ of furlough notices. They will have to be issued in mid-December, she said.
Perino also acknowledges that this was a warning shot across the bow of Congress – “that’s exactly what that was.’’
“It is not us who is making any civilians suffer,’’ she said. “We are calling on Congress.’’
by Mark Silva
Merry Christmas from Washington: With Congress balking at continued war funding, the White House says the Defense Department will issue furlough notices to about 100,000 civilian workers at military bases in mid-December.
The threat of notices is the White House’s way of reminding Congress that it must authorize continued funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The House has voted to tie $50 billion in continued funding to a timeline for troop withdrawals, but that measure has been shelved in the Senate. The White House is calling on Congress to approve a spending bill before year’s end. If funding isn’t provided, the Defense Department says, the stall will have a “profoundly’’ burdensome impact on its operations.
“Before you furlough anyone, you have to provide notice,’’ White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said this morning. “If Congress provides the full funding, then the Department of Defense will not have to take the step’’ of furlough notices. They will have to be issued in mid-December, she said.
Perino also acknowledges that this was a warning shot across the bow of Congress – “that’s exactly what that was.’’
“It is not us who is making any civilians suffer,’’ she said. “We are calling on Congress.’’
If Congress really had any guts, they'd cut the budget for the White House by 90% and direct it specifically for Bush's mess. Let Bush's pals and war profiteers pay the furloughed employees' salaries or W could serve himself cold tongue of newt for Christmas dinner.