White House Lies About U.S. Troop Needs

CLAIM:

"The President looks to the commanders in the theater to make the determinations of what is needed for our troops. They're the ones who are in the best position to look at circumstances on the ground and determine what is needed. And we have received assurances from Pentagon officials that the resources they have at this time are more than enough to meet their needs."
- White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 4/21/04

FACT:

Military officials say "more money will be needed soon" and have "identified unmet funding needs, including initiatives aimed at providing equipment and weapons for troops in Iraq. The Army has publicly identified nearly $6 billion in funding requests that did not make Bush's $402 billion defense budget for 2005, including $132 million for bolt-on vehicle armor; $879 million for combat helmets, silk-weight underwear, boots and other clothing; $21.5 million for M249 squad automatic weapons; and $27 million for ammunition magazines, night sights and ammo packs. Also unfunded: $956 million for repairing desert-damaged equipment and $102 million to replace equipment lost in combat. The Marine Corps' unfunded budget requests include $40 million for body armor, lightweight helmets and other equipment."
- Washington Post, 4/21/04

Why would this pro-defense spending Administration oppose immediately funding these shortfalls with an emergency spending bill? Politics: The President and his allies in Congress probably don't want another contentious vote/debate right before the election like the one that took place last time on the $87 billion. In other words, George Bush's partisan political goals are more important to the White House than adequately protecting troops on the frontline.