President Bush Signs War Funding Bill for Iraq, Afghanistan
On June 30, 2008 President George W. Bush signed a bill funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through late 2009. The bill, known as the Supplemental Approriations Act (H.R. 2642), was passed by the U.S. Senate on June 26 and by the U.S. House of Representatives a week earlier. It provides $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the case of Afghanistan, the bill will provide Afghan security forces with $3 billion through September 2009, the Economic Security Fund with $859 million, and $65 million for anti-narcotics campaigns. The measure also provides $479 million to the Commander’s Emergency Response Program.
In a statement during the signing ceremony, President Bush recognized the sacrifices made by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. "We owe these brave Americans our gratitude. We owe them our unflinching support. And the best way to demonstrate that support is to give them the resources they need to do their jobs and to prevail," he said. " The bill I sign today does exactly that. It provides necessary funds to support our troops as they conduct military operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in other theaters in the war on terror."
