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Bush calls for 'quick' funding
22/03/2007 21:16 - (SA)
Washington - US President George W Bush on Thursday urged lawmakers to approve his emergency spending request for Iraq in full and without restrictions on how it can be spent.
"Congress needs to get that bill out as quickly as possible, without a lot of extra spending and without a lot of strings to it," Bush said of the controversial $120bn measure for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Top Democrats want to link approval of the money to a withdrawal of US forces from Iraq by August 31 2008.
However the party's leftist base wants the legislators to approve the funding only on condition that the troops begin to withdraw this year.
Bush made his comments as he met with leaders of so-called Provincial Reconstruction Teams operating in Iraq.
They are composed of military and civilian personnel whose main focus is security and rebuilding work.
'Get the business done quickly'
"The congress owes you the money you need to do the job, without any strings attached," said Bush, whose popularity is at record lows in part because of the unpopular war.
He said: "We don't want you to go into Iraq and then have unnecessary strings placed upon the money so you can't do your job.
"Congress needs to get their business done quickly, get the monies we've requested funded, and let our folks on the ground do the job."
Bush has warned that he will veto the legislation in its current form.
- AFP
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