Edwards Statement On White House Opposition To Troop Pay Raise Passed By The House Of Representatives

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement today urging the White House to reverse its recent decision to oppose the pay raise for the troops passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2008 defense authorization bill.

"The President should immediately revoke his decision to oppose the House version of the 2008 defense authorization bill. The White House's harsh statement that the House's improved benefits for soldiers and widows are 'unnecessary' is part and parcel of this Administration's neglect of our troops and their families. The Department of Defense has already extended tours in Iraq from 12 to 15 months — a decision that I have said borders on the unconscionable. I believe we need to do everything we can to better stand by those who stand by us — and we can start with improved pay and death benefits."