US President George W. Bush on Monday demanded nearly US$200 billion from Congress to fund war operations next year, throwing down the gauntlet to opponents who want a swift exit from Iraq.
"Every member of Congress who wants to see both success in Iraq and our troops begin to come home should strongly support this bill," Bush said at the White House.
"I know some in Congress are against the war and are seeking ways to demonstrate that opposition," he said. "But they ought to make sure our troops have what it takes to succeed."
The request for US$196.4 billion would fund the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan next year, and adds more than US$42 billion to the administration's original estimate of its war costs for next year.
It includes US$5.3 billion for mine-resistant armored vehicles known as MRAPs, and US$3.6 billion for the State Department in part to fund what Bush called "crucial relief for Iraqi refugees."
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, an ardent Iraq war critic, said the request pointed to the president's "misplaced priorities" following his recent veto of a popular health care funding bill.
"Demanding nearly US$200 billion for Iraq while vetoing health care for 10 million children exemplifies the Bush Administration's misplaced priorities," she said.
"For the cost of less than 40 days in Iraq, we could provide health care coverage to 10 million children for an entire year," Pelosi said.
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