Pelosi: President Threatens to Veto Funding Priorities for America but Spends $20 Billion Every Two-Months in Iraq

'President Bush is choosing confrontation and partisanship that will only delay critical investments for our troops, our children, and our seniors.  Instead of working with Democrats to reconcile our differences over the nation's spending bills, the President threatens to veto major new investments in education, health care, energy independence, and innovation.

'Democrats understand the need for good stewardship of each and every taxpayer dollar.  We've restored strict rules for fiscal responsibility; pay as you go; and no new deficit spending while this President spends $20 billion every two-months on a civil war in Iraq.

'The Democratic Leadership stands ready to work with the President, as we made clear in our visit yesterday, but progress requires a partner in the White House who is interested in consultation and cooperation.  The President's words and his threats to veto nine of the 12 annual spending bills signal that he prefers partisanship while Democrats are working to move American in a New Direction.'