Posted on 05/10/2005 3:33:45 PM PDT by RWR8189
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Congress approved an additional $82 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan and combating terrorism worldwide on Tuesday, boosting the cost of the global effort since 2001 to more than $300 billion.
The Senate approved the measure by a 100-0 vote Tuesday. The House easily approved the measure last week. It now goes to President Bush for his signature, which is certain.
The fifth such emergency spending package Congress has taken up since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the bill includes sweeping immigration changes, a nearly tenfold increase in the one-time payment for families of troops killed in combat, and money to build a sprawling U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
Most of the money - $75.9 billion - is slated for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while $4.2 billion goes to foreign aid and other international relations programs.
The president sent Congress his spending proposal in February and the final bill - a compromise between versions passed by the House and Senate - looks largely like what he requested even though both Republican-controlled chambers had promised to fund only items and programs that lawmakers deemed urgent.
Sen. Thad Cochran, a Mississippi Republican and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the final bill "a genuine compromise between the two bodies on legislation that is of utmost importance to our troops who are deployed in the war on terror and for our allies around the world." Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the bill was "absolutely critical to winning the war on terror."
Democrats used the opportunity to criticize the Bush administration for its Iraq policies and for failing to go through the normal budget process to pay for the wars. Many also assailed Republicans for tacking on immigration provisions.
What a lovely title from the dear AP.
Yeah, but will Kerry deny he voted for it?
This time he voted AGAINST it before he voted FOR it.
100-0m huh? Do I smell some bipartisanship here?
"100-0m huh? Do I smell some bipartisanship here?"
No one wants to be perceived as against the troops, I sort of expected Boxer and one or two others to vote against it though.
Is this the same bill with a rider that requires citizenship/legal residence validation for all state driver's licenses?
Yes.
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
When you find the actual bill - please let me know - I'm in the middle of a project or I would look for it.
I need to know if SA-399 was still included with HR-1268. If so - THERE WILL BE WAR!!!
To quote Cartman from Southpark, "KICK ASS!"
Honey, please help me pick myself up off the floor. The Dem's in government just blasted President Bush and it shocked me out of my chair! /s
Go to www.house.gov, click on the Thomas website link, look up H.R. 1268, look for the public print version. One of the things that got slipped in at the last minute was the provision that up to 5000 Australians with requisite degrees be granted a new E-3 visa for two years, renewable, to take jobs and that they can bring along spouses (who can work too) and children. This is on top of the H2B returning worker visa ((supposedly aimed at migrant farm workers)) which lets up to 33,000 prior workers back into the country. This is all at the tail end of the bill, in Title VII.
I looked it on Thomas, it includes the "real id" act.
Thanks for the info re Thomas. I keep forgetting about that. I'll have to keep it on my favorites list.
Wars? There is only one current war, the War on Terror.
There was never a better investment of $82 billion than continuing finacially supporting the War on Terror. Money well spent!
Like what???
A hundred billion here, a hundred billion there. Pretty soon your talking tax increases.
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