U.S. Marines serving in Afghanistan
(USMC/Lance Cpl. Bruno J. Bego)
House Republicans want the media and the public to believe that they voted to ensure that American troops continue getting paid in the event of a government shutdown, but that President Obama and congressional Democrats refused to support funding our soldiers.
But while it's true that they passed a so-called 'troop funding bill,' they also voted against one offered by Democrats.
The difference? Their troop funding bill contained unrelated spending cuts and policy provisions, including restrictions on access to abortion in Washington, D.C.—things that had nothing to do with funding troops. Moreover, President Obama, who said he would veto the GOP bill because it contains unrelated items, also said he would support a clean CR that funded troops if we are moving towards an overall budget deal.
Bottom-line: it's completely dishonest for anyone to claim that Republicans are trying to fund troops while Democrats are against it. Democrats not only support reaching a compromise on the overall budget, they have voted in favor of guaranteeing troop paychecks without the additional ransom demands added by Republicans.
Ultimately, the real issue is and continues to be the fact that Republicans have been unwilling to agree to compromise. Perhaps that will happen before midnight tomorrow, but if it doesn't, Republicans will be the ones responsible for shutting down the government and disrupting military pay.