Members of the Senate today voted along party lines (with the exception of Russ Feingold) to approve $1.9 billion for border security they should have funded five years ago. They also voted to pay for it by reducing defense spending for our troops in Iraq by 3 percent. Suddenly, after five eternal years of Republican fiscal hedonism, they justify a reduction in spending for our soldiers as financial responsibility, and the immigration emergency trumping our troops in war as a greater matter of national security.
The Democrats offered their own amendment for the same allocation of money for the same purpose, but without cutting funding for our troops. They justified this as a commitment to security both at home and abroad. After all, you spend-happy Republicans, what is another $2 billion on top of the black hole of debt you have already dug for us? And where is the morality of possibly putting our troops in even more danger, when it was your fault for allowing the immigration situation to snowball as it did in the first place?
While I am pleased that the controlling party is at least making a token attempt to "reign in spending" (during an election year when Democrats are appearing to be a real threat to seats thought to be untouchable), let's be realistic. What is another $2 billion when it comes to the safety and welfare of our troops and their families?
Where are the cuts?
* The Military Personnel Account - pay and benefits for active duty troops now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
* Operations & Maintenance - body armor, and day-to-day needs of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan
* Iraqi Security Forces Training - training for Iraqi forces who will replace our troops (if we can ever get out of the quagmire)
* Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund - research in eradicating the deadly devices that kill and horribly maim so many of our soldiers
* Defense Health Program - medical care for our troops on the battlefield
* Death Gratuity Fund - funding that assists families of fallen soldiers
I'm no expert, maybe we don't actually need these services, but if my son, who will be 18 this year, was a soldier serving in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter, I would expect him to have EVERYTHING he needs to do his job, and come home alive and well, not in a pine box draped with the American flag (which was probably made in China).
Well, Bush has vowed to veto the bill anyway.