December 24, 2006
Bush Using "Shadow Budget" to Fund His Iraq War
Since the conflict began in 2003, Bush has used emergency spending bills to cover nearly all of the costs for the Iraq operation, rather than including them in the annual budget.
He has come under criticism for this practice, not only by lawmakers but also by the Iraq Study Group that recommended policy options for Iraq and said that in the interests of openness, the budget process should not be circumvented.
Three lawmakers - one Republican and two Democrats - wrote to Bush on Thursday telling him that the emergency bills had created an "ever- expanding shadow budget" that was obscuring Congress's oversight process and skewing budget deficit projections.
...legislation passed in June to authorize the latest infusion of funds for Iraq, an amendment was added requiring the president to finance the war costs through the annual budget.
But Bush indicated in a signing statement that he does not necessarily view that requirement as binding because it is the president's role to submit the budget.
story | Reuters via/archived TruthOut
~Without Congressional oversight fewer thieves get more misappropriated money? With Congressional approval more thieves must share that tax-funded booty, i.e. Iraq War defense contracts?
There must be (a few) thousand(s) of Americans who absolutely adore President Bush and his War.
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