Bush criticizes Democrats over Iraq war funds
By Caren Bohan
WASHINGTON, Nov 17 (Reuters) - With Congress and the White House engaged in a long-running feud over war funds, President George W. Bush criticized Democrats on Saturday for holding up money he requested for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Bush is seeking $196 billion for the wars for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. Democrats who control Congress want to attach a troop pullout plan to the funding bill for the war but lack enough votes to pass the measure in the Senate.
The White House has warned that Bush would veto any bill with such conditions.
In his weekly radio address, Bush said Congress was "failing to meet its responsibilities to our troops."
"For months, Congress has delayed action on supplemental war funding because some in Congress want to make a political statement about the war," he said, criticizing Democrats for leaving for their Thanksgiving break without approving the war funds.
A bill passed this week by the House of Representatives would have given Bush about a quarter of the $196 billion he wants for the wars while setting a goal that all U.S. combat soldiers withdraw from Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008.
Republicans stopped the measure in the Senate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would not bring another Iraq war funding bill to the House floor this year.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has warned that without a cash infusion, he would soon make plans to lay off civilian employees, terminate contracts and cut base operations.
But Democrats said Gates told them the money crunch was months away.
Bush accused Democrats of trying to micromanage the war.
"We do not need members of Congress telling our commanders what to do," he said.
Venting anger at Bush for vetoing domestic-spending bills while seeking billions for Iraq, Democrats have vowed they will not give him a "blank check" for the war. (Reporting by Caren Bohan, editing by Jackie Frank)
