House approves Pentagon funds, holds fire on Iraq

Source: Reuters

House approves Pentagon funds, holds fire on Iraq
Sun Aug 5, 2007 1:36AM EDT

By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives early
on Sunday approved more money for the Pentagon but not the
unpopular Iraq war, which is expected to be the subject of a
major legislative clash this fall.

The defense appropriations bill passed by the House 395-13
provides $459.6 billion for the Pentagon for the fiscal year
starting October 1, and maps out spending priorities.

The Senate has already left Washington for an August recess,
and is not scheduled to vote on the defense spending bill
until the autumn.

The House version pays for everything from new ships and
more soldiers to a 3.5 percent pay raise for the military --
half a percentage point more than the Pentagon sought.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0336185520070805

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No timetables for Iraq, none of the extra funding requested
by Bush, and no funding for missile defense.

"major legislative clash" in this congress? I've seen more assertive circus clowns.

to leave an impression there's some sort of controversy

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The House approved modest changes to President Bush's record Pentagon budget proposal early Sunday, but Democrats signaled plans to resume a more contentious debate over the Iraq war after the August recess.

The House's $459.6 billion version of the defense budget, approved on a 395-13 vote, would add money for equipment for the National Guard and Reserve, provide for 12,000 additional soldiers and Marines, and increase spending for defense health care and military housing.

The adjourned until after Labor Day minutes after the vote a little over an hour past midnight.




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070805/ap_on_go_co/defense_spending

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Well looks like we are getting our pay raise and some new IED detection and elimination equipment...... YAAY!!! :patriot:

Thank YOU for allowing 'US' to serve YOU your majesty!

By the time the Veterans Administration, military parts of the budget for the Energy Department, and CIA spending is added to the GOPentagon budget, we are spending a TRILLION DOLLARS a year on the military!

Only thirteen voted against the military sacred cow -- all Dems except one Republican ... and Dennis Kucinich.

It is apparently true that the military-industrial-lobbyist-Congress complex runs this country.

And if you don't like it, Bush and Gonzales will tap your telephone and read your emails ... then they can take away your computer since you are probably helping to promote the destabilization of Iraq.

That's what we got in the last several weeks.

"Thank YOU for allowing 'US' to serve YOU your majesty!"

Well put.

I see what the '08 vote is going to be....'stay the course' and of course, the peolple will drink the cool aid they hand out.

with a vote of 395-13
? who forgot to vote? right...they would have voted against the bill if they had the time to vote at all
/sarc

except that which is needed for safe withdrawal and helping keep up Iraq's infrastructure.

on Sunday:

_$3.5 billion less than requested by President Bush.

_$105 billion in personnel costs.

_$137.1 billion for operations and maintenance.

_$99.6 billion to procure weapons systems.

_$76.2 billion for research, development and testing.

_$2.2 billion to provide a 3.5 percent pay raise for military personnel.

_$6 billion for 7,000 additional Army soldiers and 5,000 marines.

_$23 billion for health care costs of the military and Pentagon employees.

_$8.5 billion for ballistic missile defense.

_$3.2 billion for the Army's next-generation Future Combat System.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070805/D8QQLUB00.html

$6 BLN for 13,000 more troops? the math per soldier isn't making sense

It can't account for TRILLIONS of OUR tax dollars!

I didn't fund the pentagon. They don't ask me for cash.

Source: Washington Post


Monday, August 6, 2007; Page A04

The House early yesterday approved modest changes to President Bush's record Pentagon budget proposal, but Democrats signaled plans to resume a more contentious debate over the Iraq war after the August recess.

The House's $459.6 billion version of the defense budget, approved on a 395 to 13 vote, would add money for equipment for the National Guard and Reserve, provide for 12,000 additional soldiers and Marines, and increase spending for defense health care and military housing.

Minutes after the vote, the chamber adjourned until after Labor Day.

The White House criticized Democrats for cutting Bush's request and effectively transferring $3.5 billion of the money to domestic spending programs. It is likely that the cuts will be restored in the fall when Congress will consider another wartime supplemental

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/05/AR2007080501422.html?hpid=topnews

On the one hand, we don't tie up the regular defense budget in the war $ debate. That's bad politics, and wrong for the country. We also need to get these troops a well deserved raise.

Now, Bush may just use the regular Pentagon budget for the Iraq War if Congress balks at giving him the money, but then it will be on him. Or what would stop Bush from using money for HHS or or Social Security for the war? Don't overestimate the ability of Congress to defund the war. He can find other ways to keep it going, even if if means having to raise the money privately, as Iran-Contra was partially privately funded too.

Bush will probably order Petraeus to deliver a cheery, optimistic report to Congress next month, and then all of the DLCers and other spineless Democrats (namely the 41 from the other day) will fold like a house of cards and give the little spoiled child more money to play war with his toys in the desert again.

while we blithely sail of the edge of the earth into fascism.

that the Demopublicans and Republicrats are working together, in a bipartisan manner, to make sure we have the necessary hardware to kill a lot more brown people for Jesus.

Isn't this sort of like buying Jeffry Dahmer a new chainsaw?