CONGRESS, DO YOUR JOB: FUND THE TROOPS!

DEAR CONGRESS: HERE'S WHERE WE ARE: OUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR. NOT JUST REPUBLICANS OR INDEPENDENTS OR CONSERVATIVES. OUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR. THERE ARE AMERICAN MEN & WOMEN RISKING INJURY AND DEATH... AND YOU SENT THEM INTO HARM'S WAY... YOU SENT THEM TO WAR.

TIME TO COWBOY UP. DO THE RIGHT THING. PASS FUNDING THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN SIGN. ENOUGH OF THE GAME PLAYING AND CHEAP POLITICAL HACKING ALREADY. WE'RE NOT STUPID. YOU'RE NOT FOOLING US. THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE WAR... IT'S ABOUT SCRATCHIN' YERSELVES IN PUBLIC AND HITCHIN' UP YER PANTS AND TRYIN' TO MAKE YERSELVES FEEL ALL IMPORTANT LIKE...

LET ME REMIND YOU: YOU HAVE THE LOWEST APPROVAL AND TRUST RATINGS OF ANY CONGRESS IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS!!

THE ONLY WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR RATINGS IS TO PROVE TO US -- THE AMERICAN PEOPLE -- THAT YOU CAN PUT POLITICS ASIDE AND DO WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR TROOPS.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS ANYMORE.

DO YOUR JOB.

FUND THE TROOPS.

2007 War Funding By The Numbers

Congress Is Ignoring The Recommendations Of Our Military Commanders By Withholding Funding For Troops In The Field

"We have nearly 200,000 troops in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are relying on this Congress to send them the funding they need to complete their mission. We also have about 100,000 civilian workers at bases across the country who will be receiving furlough notices if Congress continues to delay action. Before leaving for another holiday break, Congress should stop ducking the issue of funding our troops and send the President a clean bill he can sign. No matter how some leaders here in Washington, D.C. feel about the war, our troops deserve their full support."

–White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, 11/29/07

296: Congress has had 296 days to consider the initial detailed war funding requests from the President based on the strategic recommendations of our military commanders. They have had 39 days to consider the President's additional funding request.

70: Congress has taken 70 days of vacation since receiving the war funding request in February.

1: While Congress delays in providing needed funding, the most funding the Department of Defense (DoD) can move under general transfer authority amounts to only a little over one week’s worth of war expenses.

100,000: If Congress fails to pass a war funding bill before leaving town for the year, DoD will soon be required to begin giving layoff notices to about 100,000 civilian workers.

55%: Terrorist attacks in Iraq are down 55 percent since the surge of operations began in June.

60%: Civilian fatalities have decreased 60 percent in Iraq since June.

40%: Iraqi Security Force casualties are down 40 percent since the surge of operations began in June.

5,700: Guided by the principle of "return on success," the United States will bring 5,700 troops home by the end of the year as a result of progress made by the surge of operations.

109: Congress delayed 109 days before sending the President a supplemental war funding bill for last fiscal year that he could sign into law.