Free Lesson Plans for Teachers: Bush Vetoes Iraq Funding Bill

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Bush Vetoes Iraq Funding Bill
May 2, 2007

The USA Today is running an article entitled, "Bush, Dems to Seek Iraq
Funds Deal."

Speaking after he vetoed legislation to tie emergency funding of the Iraq
war to withdrawal dates, President Bush said, "I am confident that with
goodwill on both sides that we can move beyond political statements and
agree on a bill that gives our troops the funds and flexibility to do the job
that we asked them to do."

The article adds, " House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters
Wednesday that he hopes to have a new bill passed in the House in two
weeks, with a final bill sent to the president before the Memorial Day
recess."

Read a Related Article!!

Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

Ask your students if they like it when somebody tells them that
they cannot do something? Why/why not? Do they think that
adults are ever told that they cannot do things? Why/why not?

Consider asking students to identify several examples of
behavior that even adults cannot do.

Have your students ever been told that they would get something
special if they did something specific? What would they get?
What would they have to do? Did they do this thing? Why/why
not?

Ask students to draw a picture describing what they had to
do and what they got for doing it.

Ask your students what they think it means to be poor? What
don't poor people have? Do your students think that people who
have extra money should share with those who have none?
Why/why not?

Students could develop a story about somebody who helps
somebody else.

Do your students think it's possible for two people who do not
like one another to work together to accomplish an activity?
Why/why not?

What do students think would need to happen for two
people who don't like each other to work well together.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

Vocabulary terms to discuss: Override; Goodwill; Appropriator;
and, Phased.

According to the article, President Bush said, "Setting a deadline
for withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be
irresponsible." Do your students agree or disagree with the
President? Encourage them to explain.

Tell students to pretend that they are leaders of the
Democratic Party. In groups of two or three they could
develop responses to this statement.

Do your students think that it's appropriate that Congress sent
their legislation to President Bush exactly four years after he
announced an end to major military operations? Why/why not?

Ask your students to imagine that they were Saddam
Hussein. If he knew what happened with this legislation,
what would he say? Why?

According to the newspaper article, Congressman John Murtha
said, "he sympathizes with war opponents who want to end U.S.
involvement now, but 'we've got to fund the damn operations.'"
Why do your students think that even anti-war officials continue
to fund the military operations in Iraq? Couldn't they simply stop
funding the war and bring the troops home? Explain!!

These questions could prompt an interesting class
discussion.

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