Bart Stupak: “this week the other body takes up the President's request for $87 billion in supplemental aid for Iraq and Afghanistan.…”

“this week the other body takes up the President's request for $87 billion in supplemental aid for Iraq and Afghanistan. The supplemental appropriation should do more to support our troops who have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specifically, to support our troops and their families who are under increasing duress, Congress should grant a $1,500 bonus to all those who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not since Vietnam have such a large number of troops received such long deployments. This puts tremendous pressure on our troops and their families. This summer, the Department of Defense upped deployments for troops serving under Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom to one year, and not until last week did the Department of Defense offer these troops, largely living under very primitive, highly stressful conditions, a 2-week leave. Tragically, this month, our U.S. casualties in Iraq surpassed the number of those killed in the first Gulf War, Desert Storm. We have lost more than 308 people in Iraq. Recognizing the increasing gravity of U.S. military involvement along, my legislation, H.R. 3051, qualifies all active duty military personnel deployed for any length of time under Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom for a $1,500 bonus. This bonus should be made part of the supplemental appropriations for Iraq.”