Defense spending bill passes procedural hurdle

Defense spending bill passes procedural hurdle
By Andrew Taylor - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Dec 18, 2009 9:54:07 EST

WASHINGTON — Must-pass legislation that wraps up the bulk of the remaining congressional agenda — except for health care — easily cleared a key Senate hurdles early Friday morning.

Anchored by a $626 billion Pentagon funding bill, the measure also carries short-term extensions of unemployment benefits, highway and transit funding, key pieces of the anti-terror Patriot Act and prevents doctors from shouldering a 21 percent cut in Medicare payments.

The timing of the 63-33 post-midnight tally — which blocked GOP stalling tactics and forced a final vote to clear the bill for President Barack Obama no later than Saturday — was governed more by the brawl over health care than significant opposition to the defense measure or its additional baggage.

For a time, Republicans are using every avenue available to them to try to delay or kill the health care legislation, including stretching out debate on the defense measure. It passed the House on Wednesday by an overwhelming 395-34 vote.

The underlying defense measure provides $626 billion to the Defense Department for the budget year that began almost three months ago, a 4 percent increase for core Pentagon operations.


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_defense_spending_bill_121809/