White House Promises to Veto "Slow Bleed" Legislation

Via email:

The White House released a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) last night reiterating its threat to veto the House Democrats' supplemental spending bill over both the "slow-bleed" scheme - which the White House recently called a "non-starter" - as well as the extraneous, unnecessary spending not requested by the President. On the "slow-bleed" scheme, the SAP says:

"This legislation would substitute the mandates of Congress for the considered judgment of our military commanders. This bill assumes and forces the failure of the new strategy even before American commanders in the field are able to fully implement their plans. These Congressional mandates would place freedom and democracy in Iraq at grave risk, embolden our enemies, and undercut the Administration's plan to develop the Iraqi Security Forces and the Iraqi economy. If this legislation were presented to the President, he would veto the bill."

The SAP also outlines strong White House opposition to the unnecessary spending in the Dem bill:

"The war supplemental should remain focused on the needs of the troops and should not be used as a vehicle for added non-emergency spending and policy proposals, especially domestic proposals, that should be fully vetted and considered on their own merits. This bill adds billions in unrequested spending that is largely unjustified and non-emergency. Because of the excessive and extraneous non-emergency spending it contains, if this legislation were presented to the President, he would veto the bill."