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WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is in the early stages of drafting a wartime request for up to $100 billion more for Iraq and Afghanistan, lawmakers say, a figure that would push spending related to the wars toward a staggering half-trillion dollars. That would be in addition to $50 billion Congress is about to give the Pentagon before lawmakers adjourn for the year for operations in Iraq for the beginning of 2006. Military commanders expect that pot to last through May. "They were very ambitious," said Loren Thompson, a military analyst with the Lexington Institute, a Washington-based think tank, who has...

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2005 – Earlier this year, President Bush asked Congress to pass critical legislation to give U.S. troops the resources they need to fight and win the war on terror. That was one of the key victories accomplished during the congressional session that wrapped up this week, the president said during his weekly radio address this morning. Bush signed into law on May 11 legislation that provides $82 billion in supplemental funding, most of it to help cover the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure provides $75.9 billion for the Defense Department, including funds for...

In short, this legislation requires federal employees to spend time near Constitution Day at their department's direction. The new rules do not refer to a 'living document.' It also changes US Code describing September 17th to be Constitution Day instead of citizenship day. See also Indy Pendance's WP article thread: Skip to comments. New Law Requires Workers To Learn About Constitution (Federal Employees)

House Readies More War Funding June 17, 2005 The House of Representatives on Thursday considered an additional $45 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan next year on a presumption that U.S. troops will need the money to defeat insurgencies and defend the nascent democracies there. Although the measure came up late Thursday, the House postponed a vote on it until Monday. The money would be above the $82 billion approved for the same purpose in May. President Bush did not request the additional money, which is being added to the Defense Department budget rather than approved separately, as has been done...

WASHINGTON, 13 May 2005 — President George W. Bush signed Wednesday an $81 billion package to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The emergency package includes $76 billion for military operations, with the rest going to civilian spending and international aid to Sudan, the Palestinians and victims of a tsunami that hit Asia late last year. The monies are intended to fund US military operations through the end of the 2005 fiscal year, which ends September 30. The legislation also includes $92 million to aid displaced persons in Sudan and 907 million dollars for Asian countries struck by December’s...

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...

From The Kansas City Star: WASHINGTON — Nearly $100 million in Iraqi reconstruction cash — intended to be handed out by U.S. workers in shrink-wrapped bricks of $100 bills — can't be accounted for, federal auditors reported Wednesday. A criminal investigation into possible fraud in a handful of cases is under way to determine what happened to some of the $96.6 million earmarked to rebuild south-central Iraq, according to a report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. The money came from Iraqi oil sales and other local revenue, not from U.S. taxpayers, and it was to be distributed...

Army Running Out Of Money WASHINGTON - The Army is close to running out of money for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld informed Congress Wednesday the Army's operating fund will be exhausted early next month, and the Army is already slowing its spending. The war in Iraq costs more than $1 billion a week, and most of the cost is incurred by the Army. The Afghan operation costs about $250 million a week. Although the House and Senate have approved a $82 billion supplemental appropriation for this year's military operations, the...

The Senate moved toward approving $81 billion for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Thursday in a measure that would push the total cost of combat and reconstruction past $300 billion. Both the Senate and House versions of the measure would give President Bush much of the money he requested, but the chambers differ over what portion should go to military operations versus other assistance. Immigration changes, a U.S. embassy in Baghdad, military death benefits and an aircraft carrier are among the many other issues of conflict that will have to be sorted out by Senate and House negotiators. Congressional...

WASHINGTON-The Senate moved toward approving $81 billion (?62 billion) for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Thursday in a measure that would push the total cost of combat and reconstruction past $300 billion. Both the Senate and House versions of the measure would give President George W. Bush much of the money he requested, but the chambers differ over what portion should go to military operations versus other assistance. Immigration changes, a U.S. embassy in Baghdad, military death benefits and an aircraft carrier are among the many other issues of conflict that will have to be sorted out by...

Senate sides agree on how to handle issues attached to supplemental funding for Iraq, Afghanistan. WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans and Democrats worked out a deal Friday on how to handle immigration issues attached to a spending measure for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The immigration measures spilled into the Senate's debate over an $80.6 billion military-spending bill after the House included measures in its version to deny driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and make it harder for foreigners to stay in the United States on claims of asylum. One measure to be voted on , sponsored by Sen. Larry...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES Senate Democrats are threatening to bog down the emergency war-spending bill with a broad debate on immigration if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist doesn't win a guarantee from House Republicans to drop driver's license limits from their chamber's version. Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, said yesterday that he wants to ensure the eventual House-Senate conference will not include the House-passed Real ID Act, which cracks down on illegal immigrants' ability to use driver's licenses and restricts asylum claims. Click to learn more... "The problem that is here is that when they go to conference, they just...

IT'S ONE THING to read about the "Summer of Threat," as we do in the government's new WMD report. That's history. What's unnerving is to discover that Washington, D.C. has neglected to spend even half of the $145 million it's been allotted for counterterrorism by the federal government. The Washington Post solemnly reports that $120 million received by the national capital region between 2002 and 2004 remains unspent. The money in question is "earmarked for such critical items as hospital beds and protective gear for rescue workers." Admittedly, this isn't quite as shocking as Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding hat, but...

My friends lib hubby (she's conservative) sent her a link to this site. Does anyone you there know where you can find dollar figures for this stuff? Is this website anywhere close to accurate? Thanks for any help - I plan to send her a link to this thread once a few responses are posted!

US House cuts back military aid for Poland 2005-03-17, 14:17 The US House of Representatives approved an $81.4 billion war spending bill that would slash President George Bush's foreign aid request and add nearly $2 billion more than he sought for defense. The bill cuts $400 million that Bush had asked for to reward war allies within the so-called Solidarity Fund. One fourth of the fund money was supposed to be given to Poland – according to the promise president Aleksander Kwasniewski brought back from his talks with GW Bush earlier this year. In a statement the White House asked...

WASHINGTON, March 15 - The House on Tuesday tied a contentious immigration bill to a measure to provide an additional $81.3 billion for military operations and foreign aid, potentially complicating negotiations with the Senate on both issues. Most of the money in the spending bill would go to Iraq and Afghanistan, and the day's debate offered Republicans and Democrats a platform to debate foreign and budgetary policy. Several members criticized the Bush administration for seeking the money outside the usual appropriations process even though many of the expenses were long anticipated. Drawing particular criticism was a provision to spend $590...

Action Alert: War, baseball & national ID March 14, 2005 Tomorrow evening or Wednesday morning the U.S. House will vote on the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief -- all rolled into one awful bill: H.R. 1268. We urge a "no" vote because of what the bill contains tonight. (We can only imagine what will be added during the next 24 hours when members' pet projects are funded to buy those members' votes.) At $87.5 billion, it will be the second largest supplemental appropriations bill in the history of the world (and...

The debate continues about US troop strength and its impact on the ability of our forces to conduct sustained combat operations in the War on Terror. Recently, The Weekly Standard published a bi-partisan Open Letter to the majority and minority leaders of both houses of Congress. The letter urges the Congressional leaders to enact legislation to increase the size of the US Army and the US Marine Corps by 25,000 per year over a period of “several years.” The letter is signed by an impressive group of retired military leaders, military historians and analysts, and former members of the civilian...

WASHINGTON - President Bush was poised to officially ask Congress Monday for an estimated $82 billion to cover the costs of continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a myriad of other internationally related expenses, including training Iraqi security forces and aiding victims of the tsunami. The White House was to send the supplemental budget request to Capitol Hill late Monday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters. Included in the request is $74.9 billion for the Defense Department, including $5 billion for transforming Army divisions and brigades and $5.7 billion for training and equipping Iraqi military and...

     WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush on Wednesday signed into law a $388 billion legislative package that covers the spending of every federal agency but the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security.      Congress sent the measure, which covers the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, to the president Tuesday. A temporary spending measure was to expire at midnight.      Congress passed the package Nov. 20. Lawmakers delayed sending it to the White House until they overturned language that would have made it easier for some members of Congress to see income tax returns.      White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the president was...