COCHRAN AIRS CONCERNS ABOUT STALLED EFFORT
TO PROVIDE NEEDED FUNDS FOR TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN & IRAQ

Defense Sec. Gates Says Funds Needed by July 4 to Avoid Combat Disruptions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), vice chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today received confirmation from Defense Secretary Robert Gates that American military operations will be disrupted if Congress fails to promptly pass funding to support overseas missions.

Cochran aired his concerns about the stalled effort in Congress to send the President the FY2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Bill (HR.4899), which contains $33 billion to support U.S. Overseas Contingency Operations—including drawing down the American military presence in Iraq and building up U.S. force levels in Afghanistan this summer. 

Cochran raised the issue at a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the Defense Department’s FY2011 budget request.  The supplemental funding bill was passed by the Senate on May 27 but has stalled in the House of Representatives.

“Secretary Gates’ message about the urgency of finishing the supplemental bill soon is unequivocal.  We need to act responsibly to ensure that our military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have the resources they need to carry out their missions,” Cochran said.  “It would be a disservice to our military to not get the supplemental completed by Independence Day.”

Gates testified that without the supplemental funding the Defense Department would be forced “to do stupid things,” including tapping base operations and maintenance budgets within the different forces to support overseas missions.  He raised the prospect of Pentagon furloughs and an inability to pay active duty personnel if the additional funding is not in place by August.

“I am becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of progress on the supplemental, and strongly urge Congress to complete its work on the request as quickly as possible,” Gates testified.  “I appreciate the Senate’s action on this request, but if the supplemental is not enacted by the July 4th congressional recess, we will have to begin planning to curtail defense operations.  Such planning is disruptive, especially in time of war, and I ask your help in avoiding this action.”

As passed by the Senate, HR.4899 provides $19.0 billion to support an average troop level in Afghanistan of 84,000 U.S. troops, 16,000 more than the 68,000 assumed in the enacted FY2010 budget.  Troop levels are expected to reach 98,000 by September 30.  The legislation also includes $1.1 billion to field and sustain MRAPs and M-ATVs for troops already in the field, as well as the additional forces being deployed this fiscal year.

###