TracGunny
06-22-04, 10:15 PM
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Story last updated at 7:46 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2004
House approves defense spending bill with $25 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan
By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The House approved a $417 billion defense spending bill Tuesday that includes an initial $25 billion for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus billions for major weapons systems.
The 403-17 vote underscored an election-year bipartisan consensus behind military spending that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have accentuated.
If anything, Democrats think President Bush has requested too little for operations in the two countries in the year starting Oct. 1 and predict the $25 billion he requested for the latter months of this year will prove at least $50 billion too low.
"No doubt, after the election the public will be told what the facts are on the installment plan" about Iraq spending, said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. Obey voted for the bill.
In the Senate, a proposal was rejected that would have taken money from Bush's proposed missile defense budget for use on such tasks as securing "loose nukes" - bomb material around the world that could fall into the hands of terrorists - and policing America's ports and borders. The 56-44 vote defeated an amendment to the Senate's defense authorization bill that would have shifted $515 million from the $10.2 billion missile defense budget.
While Bush wanted to decide exactly how his requested $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan would be spent, the House limited his unfettered control to $1 billion. The rest was assigned to 22 specific accounts, such as $674 million earmarked to provide armor for Humvee vehicles.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon, said the bill is "designed to meet the country's needs in an ever-shrinking and ever-complex world."
The bill has $1.6 billion for one more Virginia-class submarine, the Navy's most advanced attack submarine, and $4.4 billion to continue developing the joint strike fighter, a next-generation aircraft being developed for the Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. allies.
The national missile defense program would get $9.7 billion, $458 million less than President Bush wanted. There is less money than Bush wanted for development of the Navy's DD(X) warship program and for the Army's future combat system aimed at linking soldiers by computer with unmanned drones and combat vehicles.
But the bill has more than Bush sought for an additional Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer.
It also included $685 million for U.S. diplomats in Iraq and Afghanistan and $95 million to help victims of famine and war in Sudan and Chad that Bush did not want. In a letter, the White House budget office said the Iraq and Sudan money "is unnecessary at this time."
The measure also has money for the 3.5 percent military pay raise that Bush requested.
The day's major controversy occurred when Republicans used a party-line vote to add language that would let Congress raise the government's borrowing limit later this year.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar $416 billion defense spending measure with $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan that would give Bush slightly more leeway than the House did.
Bush would control $2.5 billion of that money, and the rest is generally assigned to broader spending categories than the House did.
The measure would finance 20,000 additional troops for the Army. It provides money to buy 24 F-22 Raptor fighters, a program the Air Force has been gradually scaling down amid criticism that the plane is too expensive and designed to fight sophisticated enemies who currently do not exist.
There is also money for 11 V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which have seen numerous fatal crashes; C-17 transport planes; UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The bill provides more than the House did for the Navy's DD(X) ships project and for national missile defense.
Associated Press reporter Alan Fram contributed to this report
Copyright Associated Press.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/062204/D83CC9080.shtml
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Story last updated at 8:02 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2004
House RollCall Defense
The Associated Press
The 403-17 roll call Tuesday by which the House approved a $417 billion defense spending bill for 2005.
A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the bill.
There is one vacancy in the 435-member House.
Voting yes were 181 Democrats, 221 Republicans and 1 Independent.
Voting no were 16 Democrats, 1 Republican and no Independents.
X denotes those not voting.
To see how your Rep voted:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/062204/D83CCCQG0.shtml
Story last updated at 7:46 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2004
House approves defense spending bill with $25 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan
By PAULINE JELINEK
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The House approved a $417 billion defense spending bill Tuesday that includes an initial $25 billion for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus billions for major weapons systems.
The 403-17 vote underscored an election-year bipartisan consensus behind military spending that wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have accentuated.
If anything, Democrats think President Bush has requested too little for operations in the two countries in the year starting Oct. 1 and predict the $25 billion he requested for the latter months of this year will prove at least $50 billion too low.
"No doubt, after the election the public will be told what the facts are on the installment plan" about Iraq spending, said Rep. David Obey, D-Wis. Obey voted for the bill.
In the Senate, a proposal was rejected that would have taken money from Bush's proposed missile defense budget for use on such tasks as securing "loose nukes" - bomb material around the world that could fall into the hands of terrorists - and policing America's ports and borders. The 56-44 vote defeated an amendment to the Senate's defense authorization bill that would have shifted $515 million from the $10.2 billion missile defense budget.
While Bush wanted to decide exactly how his requested $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan would be spent, the House limited his unfettered control to $1 billion. The rest was assigned to 22 specific accounts, such as $674 million earmarked to provide armor for Humvee vehicles.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon, said the bill is "designed to meet the country's needs in an ever-shrinking and ever-complex world."
The bill has $1.6 billion for one more Virginia-class submarine, the Navy's most advanced attack submarine, and $4.4 billion to continue developing the joint strike fighter, a next-generation aircraft being developed for the Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. allies.
The national missile defense program would get $9.7 billion, $458 million less than President Bush wanted. There is less money than Bush wanted for development of the Navy's DD(X) warship program and for the Army's future combat system aimed at linking soldiers by computer with unmanned drones and combat vehicles.
But the bill has more than Bush sought for an additional Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer.
It also included $685 million for U.S. diplomats in Iraq and Afghanistan and $95 million to help victims of famine and war in Sudan and Chad that Bush did not want. In a letter, the White House budget office said the Iraq and Sudan money "is unnecessary at this time."
The measure also has money for the 3.5 percent military pay raise that Bush requested.
The day's major controversy occurred when Republicans used a party-line vote to add language that would let Congress raise the government's borrowing limit later this year.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a similar $416 billion defense spending measure with $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan that would give Bush slightly more leeway than the House did.
Bush would control $2.5 billion of that money, and the rest is generally assigned to broader spending categories than the House did.
The measure would finance 20,000 additional troops for the Army. It provides money to buy 24 F-22 Raptor fighters, a program the Air Force has been gradually scaling down amid criticism that the plane is too expensive and designed to fight sophisticated enemies who currently do not exist.
There is also money for 11 V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which have seen numerous fatal crashes; C-17 transport planes; UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The bill provides more than the House did for the Navy's DD(X) ships project and for national missile defense.
Associated Press reporter Alan Fram contributed to this report
Copyright Associated Press.
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/062204/D83CC9080.shtml
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Story last updated at 8:02 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2004
House RollCall Defense
The Associated Press
The 403-17 roll call Tuesday by which the House approved a $417 billion defense spending bill for 2005.
A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the bill.
There is one vacancy in the 435-member House.
Voting yes were 181 Democrats, 221 Republicans and 1 Independent.
Voting no were 16 Democrats, 1 Republican and no Independents.
X denotes those not voting.
To see how your Rep voted:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/062204/D83CCCQG0.shtml