WASHINGTON — Today, the House of Representatives voted on H.R. 2346, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009.  This bill passed the House last month with strong bipartisan support, but the Senate and the conference committee made several controversial adjustments to this current version, including an additional $5 billion for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a clause that would allow detainees housed in Guantanamo Bay to come to the United States.
 
“Rather than focusing on troop funding as this bill is meant to do, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are using it as a means to establish an unpopular $5 billion international bailout to the IMF,” stated Lucas.  “Our national debt is currently more than $11 trillion.  Instead of working to pay that money back, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are asking the American people to borrow an additional $5 billion from countries like China in order to loan it to the IMF.  It’s completely irresponsible to loan money to other countries while we can’t pay our own outstanding debt and should in no way be included in a troop funding bill.”
 
The total cost of the bill is $105.8 billion, and also includes $1 billion for the “cash for clunkers” program which provides vouchers for people who purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle after trading in their old one.  Overall, approximately 25 percent of this ‘troop funding’ bill, more than $28.7 billion, will be used for non-war spending.
 
“It’s outrageous that Speaker Pelosi and President Obama would use a troop funding bill to strong-arm Congress into allowing terrorists into America after the American people have clearly voiced their opposition to the idea,” stated Lucas.  “This bill easily passed the House with bipartisan support in May, but Speaker Pelosi and President Obama are using this important troop funding bill to play political games and pass extremely controversial aspects of their agenda- all at the expense of our men and women in uniform.  We must get this funding to our troops as soon as possible, without it costing the American taxpayer billions more for international bailout and without bringing terrorists to American soil.”
 
Congressman Lucas opposed the bill.

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