Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/president-bush-challenges-democrats-on-iraq-war-funding Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript President Bush rebuked Democrats at a news conference Tuesday on their inclusion of a troop withdrawal timeline in an Iraq war funding bill. Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Richard Shelby, R-Ala., debate the president's remarks. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. JOURNALIST: Mr. President, you say the Democrats are undercutting troops the way they have voted. They're obviously trying to assert more control over foreign policy. Isn't that what the voters elected them to do in November? GEORGE W. BUSH: I think the voters in America want Congress to support our troops in harm's — who are in harm's way. They want money to the troops, and they don't want politicians in Washington telling our generals how to fight a war. It's one thing to object to the policy, but it's another thing when you have troops in harm's way not to give them the funds they need.So my attitude is: Enough politics. They need to come back, pass a bill. If they want to play politics, fine. They continue to do that, I will veto it, but they ought to do it quickly. They ought to get to the bill to my desk as quickly as possible, and I'll veto it, and then we can get down to the business of funding our troops without strings and without withdrawal dates.