Congress Shouldn't Recess Before Troops Receive Funding

Press Release

Congress Shouldn't Recess Before Troops Receive Funding

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito today joined 193 of her House colleagues in urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to keep the House in session until a clean funding bill for our troops is passed, even if it means staying in session through the scheduled Memorial Day district work period scheduled to begin May 24.

"It has been over 100 days since Congress received the request for emergency funding for our troops in the field," said Rep. Capito. "It is past time to come together in a bipartisan way and provide the troops with the full funding they need and deserve. Continued delays in funding only put our troops at increased risk, so this Congress should not begin its Memorial Day recess until our troops are funded."

Last week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates continued his plea to Congress to not delay funding or provide incremental funding. The secretary said doing so would cause "significant disruptions to the effective and efficient operation of the Department of Defense and the health and welfare of the U.S. military." He added that funding delays negatively impact the ability to get protective equipment to the troops in the field, including the new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. The MRAP vehicle is designed to better withstand roadside bombs and improvised explosions, and has begun replacing armored Humvees in Iraq.

The request to keep the House in session until an adequate troop funding bill is passed came in the form of a letter to Speaker Pelosi signed by 194 members of Congress.

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