WASHINGTON, July 14 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - U.S. President George W. Bush took the Democratic-led Senate to task for holding up two of his favored projects, the war on terrorism and economic recovery in his weekly radio address Saturday, July 13.

“More than 100 days ago, I asked Congress to pass emergency funding to equip our armed forces and strengthen security at our airports,” Bush said.

“Without prompt congressional action, our military will need to start cannibalizing spare parts to keep equipment running.”

“Congress must fund our troops while they’re fighting a war. And Congress must provide funds to continue improving security at our airports,” the president said.

“Our nation is at war and our budget priorities and actions need to reflect that reality.”

But as Bush has run into opposition from among even some fellow Republicans who say the blame lies not with Congress but the White House, criticizing budget demands responsible for the bill’s lack of progress.

Commenting on budget debates for Bush’s defense and security proposals Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a speech on the Senate floor, “The president is ill-served by what is going on,” saying the White House budget office was consumed with “blind adherence” to a bottom-line number “without regard to the needs of the country at all.”

Bush also revisited his crackdown on corrupt business leaders after U.S. markets gave his speech on the subject a lukewarm reception Tuesday, July 9. The dollar dropped and the Dow Jones industrial average fell throughout the week and remained below 9,000.

“I support the creation of a strong, independent board that will provide effective oversight of the accounting profession,” Bush said, maintaining that tougher self-enforcement, not cumbersome government regulations, is needed to restore investor confidence. He asked Congress to increase spending for the Securities and Exchange Commission by $100 million.

Ahead of the summer recess in August, Bush, who was spending the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, said Congress has “a lot of work ahead of them.”

He urged lawmakers to reinstate presidential trade promotion authority, which lapsed under his predecessor, to “open up foreign markets to American goods and create better American jobs.”