Republicans Unveil Government Funding Bill That Would Boost Military Readiness, Protect FBI

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Republicans controlling the House moved Monday to give the Pentagon more money for military readiness while easing the pain felt by such agencies as the FBI and the Border Patrol from the across-the-board spending cuts that are just starting to take effect.

The effort is part of a huge spending measure that would fund day-to-day federal operations through September - and head off a potential government shutdown later this month.

The measure would leave in place automatic cuts of 5 per cent to domestic agencies and 7.8 per cent to the Pentagon ordered by President Barack Obama Friday night after months of battling with Republicans over the budget. But the House Republicans' legislation would award the Defence and Veterans Affairs departments their detailed 2013 budgets while other agencies would be frozen at 2012 levels - and then bear the across-the-board cuts.

--CLIP
After accounting for the across-the-board cuts, domestic agencies would face reductions exceeding 5 per cent when compared with last year. But Republicans would carve out a host of exemptions seeking to protect certain functions, including federal prisons and fire-fighting efforts in the West, and to provide new funding for embassy security and modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The FBI and the Border Patrol would be able to maintain current staffing levels and would not have to furlough employees.

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