Military Bill Omits War Funds: House, Senate negotiators agree

Source: NYT/AP

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 6, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House and Senate negotiators agreed Tuesday on a $460 billion Pentagon bill that bankrolls pricey weapons systems and bomb-resistant vehicles for troops, but has little for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democrats said they wouldn't leave troops in the lurch, but were reluctant to say when Congress might consider President Bush's $196 billion request to pay expressly for combat operations.

The nearly half-trillion dollar bill covers the 2008 budget year, which began Oct. 1.

Republicans supported the spending measure, but said the lack of war money would cause a tremendous strain on the military. To keep the wars afloat, the Pentagon would have to transfer money from less urgent accounts, such as personnel and training programs....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-US-Iraq.html

The War On Waste
Defense Department Cannot Account For 25% Of Funds — $2.3 Trillion

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/29/eveningnews/main325985.shtml

and the Pentagon already has a secret 'black ops' funding source, the heroin money that everyone knows about but doesn't do anything about, I'd say they have an 'extra-Constitutional' funding operation going already and can probably cut the weary taxpayers a break.

http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/ispol/119442790857820.xml&coll=2

(snip)
Republicans said the omission would impose an unnecessary strain on troops, but the Democratic majority said it wouldn't leave the military in the lurch.

"We'll take it step by step," said Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "The public wants this war over."

(snip)
By dividing the Pentagon's budget in two -- annual spending versus war money -- Democrats will be able to vote against paying for an unpopular war and still say they support the troops, by agreeing to the military's core budget.

The approach also puts Senate Republicans in a tough position.

If, as expected, the House passes a bill that pays for the war but sets a timetable on troop withdrawal, Republicans will have to decide how far to go to oppose it.