Walz Votes in Favor of Iraq Supplemental

Press Release

WALZ VOTES IN FAVOR OF IRAQ SUPPLEMENTAL

Today, U.S. Representative Tim Walz voted in favor of the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007. The bill, which supports troops in Iraq and Afghanistan by providing additional funding for improved military healthcare and housing, also implements key safeguards to protect the safety of service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

In particular, the bill ensures that troops are only deployed after they receive proper training by insisting that all soldiers meet Department of Defense readiness standards before deployment. Walz, a 24-year veteran of the National Guard, said that this measure will give soldiers the time they need to refurbish damaged equipment and retrain for their next mission.

"I support the Iraq Supplemental because it holds President Bush and the Iraqi government accountable," said Rep. Tim Walz. "This legislation requires the President to meet Department of Defense troop readiness standards and it requires the Iraqi government to meet the benchmarks set for it in a timely manner. Additionally, this bill rectifies the Bush Administration's lack of planning by adding badly needed funding to veterans' health care and military health care facilities."

"We were told this war would last weeks not months. Today it has become years, not months. This bill will ensure that the war in Iraq is never measured in decades, not years" concluded Walz.

The bill includes the following funding:

- An additional $1.7 billion for military health care, including for Walter Reed and other hospitals,

- $1.7 billion more for veterans' health care,

- $2.5 billion more for improving the readiness of our stateside troops, and

- $1.4 billion more for military housing allowances,
- $1.2 billion more than the President originally requested for operations in Afghanistan.

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