Russ Feingold: “I oppose the 2008 Department of Defense appropriations conference report because it provides money to continue the…”

“I oppose the 2008 Department of Defense appropriations conference report because it provides money to continue the misguided war in Iraq but fails to require the redeployment of U.S. troops. The war in Iraq is the wrong war. It is overstretching our military and undermining our national security. It is long past time for this war to end. Some may pretend that this conference report does not include any Iraq money. That claim is misleading, at best. This bill provides the regular DOD funding that keeps the war going. In fact, this bill will pay for a significant part of our operations in Iraq. Moreover, there is nothing in this bill to prevent the Defense Department from shifting regular funds to pay for the full costs of the war in Iraq in the event that the Congress does not enact supplemental appropriations for the war. I strongly support our brave men and women in uniform. We do not do them any favors by giving the President money to keep this open-ended war going with no strings attached. For their sake, and for the sake of our national security, we should use our power of the purse to force the President to bring this war to a close. This bill represents another missed opportunity, and another example of Congress failing to use its power to bring our troops out of Iraq.”