(AuGmENTor: Ok, I am once again confused. I know I read that congress had approved 200 bn$ for the war. We all bashed it. Is he honestly, tyuly looking for it AGAIN? And: Are they going to give it to him??? (Subpart a is rhetorical)
Bush asks skeptical Congress for more war funds

Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:26pm EDT

By Susan Cornwell and Caren Bohan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush asked Congress on Monday for $189.3 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, another huge request that faced deep skepticism from lawmakers opposed to prolonging the Iraq conflict.

Bush's request covers ongoing military operations for fiscal 2008, which began on October 1, the White House said. It is in addition to about $600 billion already approved for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

House of Representatives appropriators said earlier this month they would not even consider the new war funding request until early 2008, and that they wanted to link it to a plan to bring U.S. combat troops home.

But they left open the possibility of paying for the war through an interim measure called a "bridge fund."

In announcing the latest war request, Bush prodded Congress to approve the request swiftly and without conditions.

"They should pass a good, clean bill as soon as possible," Bush told reporters at an event where he was flanked by veterans and family members of fallen soldiers. Lawmakers who say they support the troops should "show it," he said.

"Congress should not go home for the holidays while our troops are still waiting for the funds they need," Bush added.

"Isn't this getting to be a little old?" Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democratic war opponent from Nevada, asked on the Senate floor after Bush spoke.
Reid noted Bush had recently vetoed a bill to expand a popular children's health program. "We've been fighting for America's priorities while the president continues investing only in his failed war strategy," he said.

Congress would not simply "rubber stamp" the request after more than five years of war, Reid warned. "In the coming weeks we'll hold it up to the light of day and fight for the change in strategy and redeployment of troops that is long overdue."

In addition to the money for the Pentagon, Bush asked for $6.9 billion for the State Department to support diplomacy and development in Iraq and Afghanistan, and $200 million for other agencies, bringing the total request to $196.4 billion.

The request included $724 million to support the new United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, and $500 million to help Mexico combat the narcotics trade.

The Pentagon had asked for $141.7 billion for the Iraq and Afghan wars earlier this year, submitting it at the same time that Bush submitted the rest of the budget. In July the Pentagon sought $5.3 billion more to procure additional vehicles with V-shaped hulls to disperse the impact of bombs.

The documents sent to Congress on Monday asked for another $42.3 billion, bringing the Pentagon total to $189.3 billion.

At the Pentagon, a senior defense official said Congress should act soon as possible, otherwise, "we are going to be in some very difficult position in terms of cash flowing."

Without the money, there could be problems "very early in the year, particularly with the operating accounts for the Army," the senior defense official told reporters.

"The 142 (billion dollars) that was originally submitted to the Congress, we think they can certainly act on that," the official added.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Gray)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNe...52200020071022