Today, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) and 173 other House Republicans sent a letter urging Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats to produce a clean Defense Appropriations Conference Report that meets the needs of our troops, instead of the reported bill which contains miscellaneous Democrat priorities AND the largest debt limit increase in history.

The letter makes clear that Democrats must stop using troops as a tool to pass legislation that would not pass on its own merit. Here is what the letter said: 

December 11, 2009

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House

U.S. Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Madam Speaker,

We write today to express our strong opposition to reports that the Democrat Majority is considering attaching unrelated and extremely controversial proposals, such as an increase in the public debt limit, to the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Appropriations bill. We object to maneuvers to use our troops as leverage to enact proposals that the Majority either cannot pass on their own or for which they wish to avoid directly voting on and we will oppose a Defense Appropriations package that includes such provisions.

Unfortunately, there seems to be pattern developing this year of using legislation that supports our men and women in uniform to pass other contentious proposals that are extraneous to our troops. We should supply those who risk their lives for our country with the resources they need without conditions and without using them to accomplish other legislative goals. House Republicans stand ready to help the Majority enact a defense bill that meets the needs of our troops, but we will not assist your effort to use the troops to enact an increase in our national debt limit so as to finance the irresponsible spending policies of your party

                                          Sincerely,