GOP chief blasts Ryan’s vote against war funds

The Valley congressman said the only way to support troops is to bring them home soon.

WASHINGTON — Clarence R. Smith, Mahoning County GOP chairman, is admonishing U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s vote last week against legislation to supply more funding for U.S. troops in Iraq.

Smith cited “petty partisan concerns” as the dividing factor in the vote, and said he was disappointed that Ryan let them get in the way, especially on this Memorial Day weekend.

“Ryan decided to join with the extreme left wing of his Democrat party, voting against providing needed funds for the troops in order to score cheap political points,” he said in a statement issued Saturday. “The congressman ought to be an American first.”

The chairman said he feels Ryan owes the troops an apology.

Smith said that the Democrats currently in control in Washington are “not cut from the same cloth” as those Democrats here in Mahoning Valley.

Ryan explains vote

Ryan, of Niles, D-17th, however, says he is standing firm on his commitment to bringing troops home and his refusal to allow the administration to continue its failed policies in Iraq.

Ryan voted against the White House’s compromise with Congress that stripped the Iraq supplemental funding of its time lines for withdrawal.

“I voted against this compromise because I support our troops. It has become clear that the only real way to support them now is to bring them home as soon as possible,” he said.

After consulting with local veterans and citing the $378 billion cost for the war so far, Ryan said he believed it was irresponsible to give President Bush another blank check.

“I share the anger and frustration of my constituents,” Ryan said. “I can’t possibly get behind giving the president another $120 billion without enforceable benchmarks and a timetable for withdrawal. If President Bush was a football coach, he would be fired by now … his game plan has failed.”

Ryan also pledged to fight for enforceable benchmarks in upcoming legislation on the war. In July, Congress is scheduled to take up the Department of Defense appropriations bill and in September, another Iraq supplemental will need to be passed in order for the war to continue in fiscal year 2008.

“I plan to use my position on the Appropriations Committee to ensure that these future bills slated to fund the Department of Defense and Iraq contain provisions that will end this horrible conflict. I will fight to end this war by any means necessary,” Ryan said.