Bush failed to plan for payroll of troops

Army running out of payroll cash, DoD says

By William H. McMichael and Rick Maze - Staff writers
Posted : Tuesday May 6, 2008 20:15:01 EDT

In an announcement that puts troops and their families in the middle of a political dispute, a Pentagon spokesman said Tuesday that the Army will not be able to pay soldiers after June 15 unless Congress approves an emergency war funding bill.

The claim drew a quick rebuke from Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, who is working on such a bill.

Murtha said there is no threat to military paychecks and that it is inappropriate for the Pentagon to try to involve soldiers and their families in a political dispute over how much money is needed to pay for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and exactly when the money is needed.

However, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell was very clear in a meeting with reporters.

“June 15th is the last payroll the Army at this point can make without congressional action,” he said.

Morrell said the Pentagon has “for months” been funding the wars by borrowing from personnel budget accounts. But those accounts “are about to run dry,” he said.
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How many emergency supplemental bills Bush need to make demands on congress for before he managed to do anything ahead of time? Now this? Did he plan on anything? No VA gear up for the wounded. He cut back the VA in 2005! No plans for facilities to take care of the wounded of the families who had to leave their jobs to take care of their family members. No plans for anything and now this? But hey, he says he supports the troops and that's all we are supposed to need to hear!