The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Commentary
    • Columns
    • Water Cooler
    • Letters
    • Cartoons
    • Books
  • Sports
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Communities
  • Rebate Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Politics

    Kucinich will vote for health care reform

  • Politics

    Obama team takes heat over unemployment

  • Politics

    Obama, Hill wage intelligence turf battle

  • World

    White House urged to end Israel row on settlements

  • Politics

    'Self-executing rule' decried as a 'trick'

  • Environment

    Poll: Fewer people worry about warming

  • Politics

    Senate approves modest earmark cut

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Bush advisers threaten veto if money for Iraq is as loans

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen

More Stories

  • Israel lifts restrictions on Palestinians
  • FACT CHECK: Premiums would rise under Obama plan
  • Holder: Bin Laden capture seen unlikely
  • Senate approves modest earmark cut

By

The Bush administration yesterday said the president should veto the Iraq spending bill unless senators drop their provision that would make half the reconstruction money a loan, rather than a grant, to Iraq.

Including loans will slow efforts to stabilize the region and it "impairs our ability to encourage other nations to provide badly needed assistance without saddling Iraq with additional debt," Josh Bolton, director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote congressional leaders.

Mr. Bolton said the president's advisers would "recommend that he veto the bill" -- the typical language for conveying a veto threat -- if it included loans. He also said using loans "raises questions about our commitment to building a democratic and self-governing Iraq."

The president has requested $87 billion to resupply the U.S. military, continue the global war on terror and help rebuild Iraq. Both the House and Senate last week approved versions of the bill, but the Senate voted to make half of the reconstruction money a loan. Now House and Senate negotiators are hammering out differences -- chiefly the loan proposal.

With Republican leaders in both chambers opposed to loans and their hand now strengthened by the president's threat, the president is virtually guaranteed to receive a bill from Congress to his liking.

"It effectively seals the deal that the president will prevail in the House-Senate conference," said Stuart Roy, spokesman for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican.

Sen. John Ensign, Nevada Republican and loan supporter, said the letter's language still leaves the president "wiggle room" and promised to keep fighting for the loans.

"We knew the odds were against us going into conference, but we're still going to push it," he said.

He and other backers object to the fact that other nations such as France and Germany stand to be repaid on their loans from the Saddam Hussein era. The provision allows the loan to be forgiven if other nations also forgive Iraqi debt.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Top Stories

Most Shared

  1. E-mails suggested Fort Hood suspect subpar for Army
  2. EDITORIAL: Obama nominee's sympathy for sexual sadists
  3. WOLF: Obama family health care fracas
  4. FITTON: Secret mortgage politics
  5. Tehran aiding al Qaeda links, Petraeus says
More Top Stories »
  1. Iran's link to China includes nukes, missiles
  2. WOLF: Questions for your representative
  3. CROWLEY: What Democrats are really saying
  4. White House urged to end Israel row on settlements
  5. EDITORIAL: Mrs. Clinton's hissy fit

Most Commented

  1. E-mails suggested Fort Hood suspect subpar for Army
  2. Obama hones final health care pitch
  3. Temporary foreign workers threaten immigration deal
  4. Tehran aiding al Qaeda links, Petraeus says
  5. White House urged to end Israel row on settlements
More Top Stories »
  1. GOP blasts Democrats over health bill tactic
  2. Poll: Fewer people worry about warming
  3. Napolitano shifts policy on border fence
  4. PRUDEN: The suicide mission for the Democrats
  5. Obama team takes heat over unemployment

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin

Blogs & Columns

  • Water Cooler

    Former Pa. Rep. Mike Veon in hot water

  • Belief Blog

    Sayonara to the president's faith-based council

  • Technology

    Ordering iPad is painless, except for the wallet hit

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.