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GOP wants increased budget Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/062/wash/House_GOP_wants_more_defense_l:.shtmlhttp://www.boston.com/dailynews/062/wash/House_GOP_wants_more_defense_l:.shtml
House GOP wants more defense, less foreign aid in Bush's Iraq war bill
By Alan Fram, Associated Press, 3/3/2005 02:29
WASHINGTON (AP) House Republicans want to add about $1.8 billion for armored vehicles and other defense needs to President Bush's request for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and other operations abroad, figures obtained by The Associated Press show.
They also want to pare about half the $4 billion he proposed for Afghan rebuilding, aid to other allies and for State Department expenditures, congressional aides say.
GOP leaders of the House Appropriations Committee planned to release their version of the war package on Thursday. An aide, who like others spoke only on condition of anonymity Wednesday, said its overall price tag would be just below Bush's $81.9 billion proposal.
Congress is likely to approve legislation very much resembling Bush's overall package this spring. While House leaders hope their chamber will approve their bill later this month, the Senate isn't expected to produce its version until April.
The bill is expected to also include aid to Indian Ocean countries recovering from the December tsunami. It was unclear whether it would be the same as the $950 million Bush proposed.
The House changes reflect a bipartisan desire to be generous to U.S. troops serving abroad, despite concerns lawmakers had with parts of Bush's proposal.
Some have said Bush'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 committee's bill.
''Though concerns are being raised ... the committee is compelled to fully fund the Army's request at this time by an urgency to address the significant challenges the Army now faces,'' a report accompanying the bill states.
At the same time, the House bill underscores a reluctance by many Republicans to spend too much on foreign aid projects some consider questionable. This has been fed by Bush's ongoing struggle to control record federal budget deficits.
About $570 million of the $2 billion Bush sought for Afghanistan's reconstruction would be cut, one 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.
The House measure also demonstrates a reluctance by lawmakers to cede too much control over spending the funds to Bush.
Some $400 million that Bush wanted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to control for U.S. allies split between economic and military aid was gone, one aide said.
The measure also chastises Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld for not submitting a required report on Pentagon spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it orders additional, periodic reports.
Bush sent his request to Congress on Feb. 14. The package, combined with previously approved funds, would drive the totals spent so far on Iraq, Afghanistan and operations against terrorists beyond $300 billion for fighting, aid to allies and reconstruction assistance.
Overall, the $74.9 billion Bush requested for the Defense Department was to grow to about $76.7 billion.
The Army and Marines, doing most of the fighting, would get 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.
Funds for operations and maintenance which covers costs like flying aircraft and repairing trucks were being cut.
The bill also includes unspecified money to build a headquarters for the new director of national intelligence. Bush has nominated career diplomat John Negroponte to that job.
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