House GOP to Propose Adding Defense Funds

[merwin]

House GOP to Propose Adding Defense Funds
By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - House Republicans will propose tacking about $1.8 billion in extra defense spending onto the $81.9 billion package President Bush (news - web sites) wants for the wars in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites), according to data obtained by The Associated Press.

At the same time, GOP lawmakers will propose cutting about $2 billion from the State Department and foreign aid portion of the measure, including some Afghan reconstruction aid, said a congressional aide familiar with the emerging bill. The measure also includes disaster-relief aid for Indian Ocean countries hit by last December's tsunami and other foreign expenses.

The changes underscore a desire by Republicans to pare some spending at a time of rampant federal deficits. It also reflects a bipartisan preference for beefing up military funds in a time of war despite some misgivings about parts of Bush's proposal.

Many lawmakers, for example, had said the president's request for $4.6 billion to make Army brigades more self-sufficient could wait until next year's regular defense bill. Even so, the money is in the bill being proposed by GOP leaders of the House Appropriations Committee.

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As if they weren't already spending too much money...

[deacon]

1. $1.8 billion in extra defense spending onto the $81.9 billion package

WASHINGTON - House Republicans will propose tacking about $1.8 billion in extra defense spending onto the $81.9 billion package President Bush (news - web sites) wants for the wars in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites), according to data obtained by The Associated Press.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=3&u=/ap/20050303/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq_spending

[jfern]

2. Those fiscal conservatives will balance the budget in no time

[whathappened]

3. did it happen

to say what this round of money was going , that big hole this money is going into is growing by the day

[RobertSeattle]

4. More..

"About $570 million of the $2 billion Bush sought for Afghanistan's reconstruction would be cut, an aide said. That included $25 million for starting a law school and money for building courthouses and community housing and helping venture capitalists make investments.

An additional $400 million that Bush wanted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) to control for U.S. allies — split between economic and military aid — was gone, the aide said. Some $150 million in food aid for refugees in Sudan's embattled Darfur province was also being excluded, said the aide.

...

The Army and Marines, doing the brunt of the fighting, were getting more than Bush sought, especially for equipment. The House bill would add $2.2 billion to Bush's $16.1 billion request for procuring weapons and equipment, including extra money for armor, night-vision goggles and armored trucks and other vehicles. "

[rodeodance]

5. where is that 9 billion that the Pentagon lost!!

[rodeodance]

6. if a congressperson says no--be will be branded as not supporting the

troops. they are between a rock and hardplace

[Toots]

7. 1.8 Billion, isn't that the same amount of Halliburton's new contract?

Getting rich off of death and misery. The true Republican agenda.