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December 12, 2007
DOD Notifies Congress of Furlough Moves If No GWOT Funding
Defense Department Notifies Congress of Furlough Moves
American Forces Press Service
DOD
WASHINGTON
Dec. 11, 2007
The Defense Department has officially notified Congress that the department will begin the furlough process for civilian employees of the Army, the Marine Corps and the combatant commands.
Congressional leaders have released a letter from Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England dated Dec. 7. In it, England gave legislators the required 45-day notice before beginning furloughs.
The furloughs will become necessary if Congress does not pass a global war on terror spending bill. “Without GWOT funding, only operations and maintenance funds in the base budget are available to cover war-related costs,” England said in the letter. “O&M funds also cover salary costs for a large number of Army and Marine Corps civilian employees.”
England reminded legislators of a letter he sent Nov. 8 to explain what would happen without supplemental war funding. “I emphasized that without this critical funding, the department would have no choice but to deplete key appropriations accounts in order to sustain essential military operations around the world,” he wrote in his Dec. 7 letter.
The House passed a $50 billion bill last month with funds to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it included legislation that directs the president to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by December 2008. The measure failed in the Senate. President Bush has vowed to veto any bill that includes a troop-withdrawal timetable.
England’s letter begins a process that could affect 100,000 civilian employees. “Specific furlough notices will be issued in mid-January,” England said in his letter. “The department will also begin notifying appropriate labor organizations.”
If the legislation does not pass, the Army will be the first service affected, in mid-February, and the Marine Corps about a month later. The services will be forced to divert operations and maintenance funds to continuing combat operations. Civilian employees in the United States and overseas would be affected.
“The furlough will negatively affect our ability to execute base operations and training activities,” England wrote. “More importantly, it will affect the critical support our civilian employees provide to our warfighters -- support which is key to our current operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Congress has passed a $460 billion Defense Appropriations Act for 2008, but this is not enough to fund ongoing operations.
England told the lawmakers the Defense Department has no choice but to begin the furlough process. “While these actions will be detrimental to the nation, there are no other viable alternatives without additional congressional funding,” he wrote.
Wild Thing's comment........
So freaking despicable of these political tyrants. The Democrats are determined to destroy our military, and this ploy of not funding it is their ideal method to do so.
I wonder if they give ANY thought to the military, military family and military supporter VOTES out there that would be severely at risk, should they do this dastardly deed.
I would get the spineless together so those SOBs will hold the line... instead of flaking on Sunday shows and smoking cigars at the old boy’s club with the dems.
This isn’t a game.
Posted by Wild Thing at December 12, 2007 12:55 AM
Comments
"Political tyrants" is too kind. Traitors seems more accurate. The Defeatocrats "slow bleed" strategy is, in fact, a torture of our military and front-line troops and far worse than the water boarding of a few terrorists that these Congressional hypocrites are so outraged about.
Posted by: Les at December 12, 2007 03:31 AM
Well! This pretty well urinates me off! I feel so sorry for the civilians and their families. Yeah...Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from your "pretend" government, the Democrats.
"Congressional hypocrites" and "Political tyrants", BEWARE!!!!! I am an unusually loyal person. My priorities are: 1) God 2) Family 3) U.S. Marines (my first marriage AND family) 4) The Country of my Fathers 5) All other Brothers and Sisters serving in the defense of items 1 through 4, above.
"Congressional hypocrites" and "Political tyrants" are about 73rd on my list, behind the virgins. When you pass away and are buried, and hear a funny tinkling noise, that would be me and my friend, here in town, pissing on your headstones. When you hear thumps and a peculiar smell drifts over you, that would be many months/years of Great Pyrenees dog poop being dumped on your graves. Chances are you will be in hell anyway and it won't make any difference...but it will make me and my Pyrs feel happy.
Posted by: SSgt Steve, USMC(P) at December 12, 2007 08:41 AM
Grand standing, extortion, treason. The democrats in Congress are a bunch of sorry bastards. They are very lucky that the average American is not in the mindset of a Second Revolution, yet. More than likely this funding will go through, but the democrappers have to posture and pose and pontificate and defecate first. They are strongly supported by the MSM which has yet to realize it has terminal cancer.
The troops and the war will most likely get their funding, late. I worry about next year and if we end up with a democrap president and possibly even more democraps in Congress. Then we might really pull out and give this war away . Vietnam de ja vu!
Posted by: TomR at December 12, 2007 09:13 AM
I just read AOL news Briefs, Bush pardoned 29 Felons. and...
The US Postal service refuses to forward Christmas Cards, Get well cards and general Thank You notes, all under the auspices of "Any Wounded Soldier".
This is what happens when there is too much government bureaucracy and Nit-Wits in charge of the country.
Duh... they couldn't send a couple of bags of thesee cards to Walter Reed ? What a bunch of F'n A**holes.
And Bush can not possibly pardon Ramos and Compien no he would rather pardon convicted Felons.
This is the outrage of his term. I am totally disgusted with this sawed-off pseudo Texan.
Posted by: Mark at December 12, 2007 10:30 AM
This is a disgrace. I guess things like that happen when Congress is controlled by a party that is allied with the enemy.
Posted by: Robocop at December 12, 2007 10:42 AM
At least England has the guts to stand up for his men. It is unfortunate that many civilians will loose their jobs because a bunch of idiots hate Bush so bad they will do anything to destroy him and the Country as well!!! Then all the Democraps will cry that the unemployment rate is out of control and that will be Bush's fault too!! Sheesh!!!! Is there no sanity left in this world???
Posted by: John at December 12, 2007 12:35 PM
I hate to say it but crap like this has gone on for quite a while. Budget fights between the White House and Congress have held up military spending bills numerous times in the past. Their were times we couldn't order aircraft parts because the budget didn't pass and emergency appropriations ran out. We would take to "cannibalization" from one aircraft to keep the others flying.
Although this has happened before, the fact it's happening during a time of war is, in my opinion, treasonous.
Posted by: BobF at December 12, 2007 01:30 PM
I blame all of them. Somewhere along the way, maybe since JFK injected glamor into the political system, we collectively forgot that people seeking power over us are, by nature, the worst collection of stumps and buffoons nature can produce. All of them.
Can someone define a meaningful difference between the boot-licker dimwit Dick Durbin and the hairball Trent Lott, or Arlen Expectorate and Orin Hatch? What is it? This funding atrocity took place because Dubya hasn't the nads to make the Donks suffer big time for these misdeeds. Why? Because he holds the office in high regard? Baloney. These clowns don't live in our world. If there's humility in them, it's an accident.
There were exceptions, like Pay Moynihan and Ronald Reagan and maybe Dwight Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson, who concerned themselves with decency in human affairs, and who spent their time thinking rather than wanking over their prospects for re-election.
Face it. If Harry Reid walked onto your porch, you'd kick his scrawy, stupid ass into the street just on general principles. Mitch McConnell? A pop-eyed goon you'd chase away with a lawn mower. I wouldn't give any of them a nickel for a parking meter.
The Founders hated their grovelling kind and tried to construct a system which would limit and control them in every endeavor. Every endeavor. We've forgotten than power-seeking is the final decay and pursuit of the born loser, from top to bottm. Dog catchers at least have a job to do.
Posted by: Rhod at December 12, 2007 04:28 PM
Rhod, their's only one way to prevent that and it's Term Limits. Term Limits for all in Congress: 12 years for the Senate and 6 years for the House.
Posted by: BobF at December 12, 2007 08:48 PM
Hi Rhod! How is your son coming along with his SF training?
Posted by: TomR at December 12, 2007 11:02 PM
Les, yessss they worry more about waterboarding and being mean to terrorists then they care about giving support for our military.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 12:34 AM
SSgt Steve, USMC, pretend government is right, they play at their positions of power. When what they need to do to make things right , instead they let their hate lead the way on every decision about our military.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 12:39 AM
Tom, that is what they will do I bet. Fund it at the last second and then make our troops wonder about the next time and how much for how long. sheesh
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 12:55 AM
Mark, it breaks my heart. It would be so easy just to forward all that mail to Walter Reed, they are so vile not to do that.
I agree with you about Bush too, I am totally disgusted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 01:03 AM
Robocop, yes they sure are aiding the enemy. I also blame the rino's too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 01:05 AM
John, it is like the world is upside down or something.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 01:07 AM
Bob I agree, it is treasonous, and also when it is being done like it is out of hate and bitterness and they continue to side against our military on a regular basis it stinks to high heaven. Then all the PC baloney that messes with the minds and missions of our troops. Oh man it makes me so furious.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 01:10 AM
Rhod, a HUGE AMEN and DITTO to all you said.
Posted by: Wild Thing at December 13, 2007 01:13 AM
Patriots... This IS the party of "We support the troops but not the DOD contractors!" Spineless, gutless, treasonous, ethicless, moraless, and clueless! The GOP may ride on these facts all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue... Again!
Posted by: drstrangeloveb52isok at December 13, 2007 02:39 AM
I'd make it about three weeks, Bob.
Haven't heard from him in about a month, Tom. He's in SERE (?) training right now. That'll teach him.
Hope you guys are okay.
Posted by: Rhod at December 13, 2007 05:39 AM