Posted on 08/01/2002 4:08:13 PM PDT by TLBSHOW
Senate Passes $355 Billion Defense Bill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led Senate on Thursday easily passed a $355.4 billion bill to fund the Pentagon next year, handing President Bush the money he wants for the biggest U.S. military expansion in two decades.
The mammoth spending bill, which is up $35 billion from current levels, was passed 95-3 with little debate and keeps a pledge by Senate leaders to clear the defense budget bill before Congress leaves for its monthlong August recess.
It funds the additional aircraft, weapons and costs of deploying forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere that Bush sought for the war on terrorism he declared after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
The Republican-led House of Representatives approved its version of the bill in June. The House and Senate still must work out differences in their two versions.
"I applaud the Senate for answering my call to quickly pass the Defense Appropriations bill," Bush said in a written statement. "With our nation at war, it is imperative that we address the important priority of ensuring that our troops have the resources they need."
The Pentagon will get an additional $10 billion later that Bush wanted as a wartime contingency fund. Defying Bush, lawmakers insisted on having a voice in how the money is spent, and plan to allocate it in a later bill.
This is the last major piece of the defense plan for the 2003 fiscal year that starts on Oct. 1. The House and Senate now have approved bills authorizing military programs and spending. Final versions of the bills still must be worked out in House-Senate conferences when Congress returns from recess in September.
The Senate bill moved with little controversy after deals were struck with the White House to save jobs from the scuttled $11 billion Crusader cannon and over funds for Bush's missile-defense program.
The bill would provide an additional $278 million to develop future Army combat systems, including a replacement for the 40-tonCrusader cannon the Pentagon intends to ax because it is too heavy and difficult to transport.
The extra money is part of an effort to see that current contractors on the Crusader get first consideration for its replacement program, lawmakers said. Arlington, Virginia-based United Defense Industries Inc. was developing the Crusader, which was to have been built mainly in Oklahoma.
MISSILE-DEFENSE DEAL
The bill also reflects the deal over funding for Bush's program to develop a national missile-intercepting system that was worked out earlier in the Senate's bill authorizing military programs.
With that compromise, the administration could replace the $814 million Democrats cut from Bush's $7.6 billion missile-defense request with funds the Pentagon expects to save from lower-than-expected inflation or it could apply the money to other counter-terrorism programs.
The bill also clears the way for a plan Congress backed last year for the Air Force to lease 100 Boeing Co. wide-body jets and convert them into refueling tankers to replace its aging tankers.
Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain argued that the plan would be too expensive and denied other companies a chance to compete for the lease. But he withdrew an amendment to block the move which he acknowledged had little chance of passing.
In action on the defense budget bill on Wednesday, the Senate passed an amendment to deny defense contracts to U.S. companies that incorporated offshore this year to avoid taxes.
It was Congress' latest response to corporate scandals that have hit stock markets and could affect November congressional elections in which control of both chambers is at stake.
In military hardware, the Senate bill would provide $3.3 billion to buy 15 C-17 cargo aircraft -- $586 million more than Bush sought -- while the House bill would buy 12.
It would provide $9.2 billion to buy four new Navy ships, four submarine refueling overhauls, and various other vessels -- $960 million more than Bush sought for shipbuilding.
It would buy 48 F/A-18 E and F model combat jets, adding $136 million to the Navy's $3.1 billion request.
It would provide $250 million to buy 21 Blackhawk helicopters, nine more than Bush requested.
The bill also would fund a 4.1 percent pay raise for all service members.
Bump!
Is that right? [Grinning nervously]
Seriously, though, $355 billion is not nearly enough. My understanding is that this amount will barely cover the existing needs of the armed forces.
Even in the hearings on Iraq, there were very few voices that spoke out against going after Saddam. Of course, they may have seen the poll that between 75-80% of those polled want us to take out Saddam.
I would double the amount, and to "pay" for it, I would cut all the social programs I could find.
Just the opposite of what Clinton did.
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