U.S. Senate approves $165 billion in new war money
- added May 23, 2008
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- EbahDyke
- added this
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The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved an additional $165 billion to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan for another year after lawmakers blocked proposed timetables for withdrawing American troops from Iraq.
By a vote of 70-26, the Senate passed the new war money the Pentagon says it urgently needs to avoid civilian layoffs and the interruption of soldiers' paychecks within months.
The House of Representatives still must weigh in on the legislation. Last week, it passed a drastically different bill that failed to provide any new money for the wars and would withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.
The House is likely to consider its next step in early June after lawmakers return from a week-long recess.
President George W. Bush, speaking to U.S. troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, repeated his opposition to Congress setting troop withdrawal schedules or other conditions on the Pentagon.
"The United States Congress needs to pass a responsible war funding bill that does not tie the hands of our commanders," Bush said.
Assuming lawmakers ultimately give Bush the war funds he has requested, Congress will have appropriated more than $800 billion for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Most of the money has gone for the unpopular war in Iraq.
As the Senate was debating the new war money, a House panel was looking into allegations that the Defense Department had failed to properly account for $15 billion in expenditures in Iraq, much of that for payments to contractors.
Besides the war funding, the Senate also attached expensive expansions of U.S. unemployment benefits and help for war veterans who want to get a college education. Bush opposes those measures, as well as other domestic spending included by the Senate.
Credit: Reuters
Finish at link: http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN22...
By a vote of 70-26, the Senate passed the new war money the Pentagon says it urgently needs to avoid civilian layoffs and the interruption of soldiers' paychecks within months.
The House of Representatives still must weigh in on the legislation. Last week, it passed a drastically different bill that failed to provide any new money for the wars and would withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2009.
The House is likely to consider its next step in early June after lawmakers return from a week-long recess.
President George W. Bush, speaking to U.S. troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, repeated his opposition to Congress setting troop withdrawal schedules or other conditions on the Pentagon.
"The United States Congress needs to pass a responsible war funding bill that does not tie the hands of our commanders," Bush said.
Assuming lawmakers ultimately give Bush the war funds he has requested, Congress will have appropriated more than $800 billion for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Most of the money has gone for the unpopular war in Iraq.
As the Senate was debating the new war money, a House panel was looking into allegations that the Defense Department had failed to properly account for $15 billion in expenditures in Iraq, much of that for payments to contractors.
Besides the war funding, the Senate also attached expensive expansions of U.S. unemployment benefits and help for war veterans who want to get a college education. Bush opposes those measures, as well as other domestic spending included by the Senate.
Credit: Reuters
Finish at link: http://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed7/idUSN22...
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Is anyone else irritated?
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Just in case anyone was curious:
Clinton (D-NY), Nay
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting
Obama (D-IL), Not Voting
Full list of votes and summary available here:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/r... -
I am not for the war by any means ,but what happened to buying our troops body armor. With all this money spent and lost you would think this would on the top of the 'to do' list. I think we can all agree on that.
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Yay, more money to the people making profit on war!
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Instead of funding more and more cash, they need to figure a way to bring or troops home. I'm so pissed that so many of our troops are dying over there. They shouldn't be able to get away with this bullshit war.
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- adam_romano
- 3 months ago
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democratic controlled senate approves funding with obama not voting. pandering slick politician.
ron paul 2008-
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- histoplasma
- 3 months ago
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i'm always annoyed whenever Bush pushes for more coin for his war by saying his "commanders" or "generals" etc. , need the money - as if Bush himself is just some kind of unpaid volunteer advocate for the "generals" - like he should be applauded for being so unselfish as to cry out against those who'd betray the "commanders" . ugggg
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Billion what? Where did america get that type of money? We spend and spend and cut and cut. After while we have to pay back and pay back.
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*facepalm*
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I agree. Where is this money coming from? Not only are they just feeding this pointless war, but they are pulling money *magically* out of their ass and it's only going to hurt us in the long run. The US dollar value will continue to plum-it and I can't be convinced that thats not what they want.
It's disgusting. Americans and Iraqis' are dying, the unemployment rate is going up as fast as gas prices, yet they keep funding this war with money they know we don't have.
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