The House Democrats have done the opposite of what US President George W. Bush had demanded: a clean war funding bill. Bush wanted a war funding bill without any attachments. But, that was not what Bush had received. In what could be seen in an act of defiance, House Democrats and placed some add-ons.
The bill is about a $183.7 billion package. This would be used to fund both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, two major attachments have been put on this war funding bill.
The first attachment to the war funding bill was an unemployment assistance program.
The second attachment would be a new GI Bill that extends college benefits for the veterans. Recently, Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has introduced a new GI Bill that extends benefits to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, Webb had clashed with presumed GOP nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona.
McCain has opposed the bill. Instead, he wants an alternative bill that gives benefits to those that look to the military as a career. The alternative has been sponsored by Senate Republicans. This would entice soldiers to re-enlist and remain in service to get those benefits.
There is also the attachment that the Pentagon will have to start withdrawing troops.
The war funding bill also had the attachment in regards to interrogating prisoners. In short, it would bean that the method known as waterboarding would be illegal under that attachment. Back in March, House Democrats had failed to override Bush’s veto on the anti-torture bill. Under that anti-torture bill, the CIA would not be allowed to use such methods like waterboarding.
In that regard, that could be used as ammunition against John McCain of Arizona. In February, McCain said that Bush should veto the bill. This is deemed to be controversial because McCain opposed waterboarding.
There is a chance that Democratic frontrunners Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Clinton of New York will clash with McCain in regards to this. So far, Iraq has been the main platform of John McCain’s candidacy.
However, the bill has come under fire from House Republicans.
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