Senate approves defense bill, sends it to House

[Tx4obama]

Source: The Boston Globe

WASHINGTON—The Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that authorizes the Pentagon to spend nearly $160 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this budget year without major restrictions on the conduct of operations.

The voice vote on the defense authorization bill came after House and Senate Democrats agreed to strip several provisions, including one that would have allowed gays to serve openly in the military.

"The controversial aspects of this legislation have been removed," said Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, on the Senate floor.

The provision that would have overturned the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was approved as a standalone bill and President Barack Obama signed it into law on Wednesday.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/12/22/senate_approves_defense_bill_sends_it_to_house/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news

[ixion]

1. Hurray! More money for the 'wars'

:puke:

[Tx4obama]

4. I'm sure the soldiers in the military are glad that they'll be getting their paychecks on time. n/t

[ixion]

9. Yeah, gotta keep the money flowin' so they keep the blood and carnage flowin'

got it...

[24601]

10. Never worn the uniform, have you? The failure to pass the Defense

Appropriations or Authorizations Bills do not affect receipt of military pay.

[valerief]

2. None for First Responders, all for the Saudis. nt

[Tx4obama]

3. The 9/11 responder HC bill is coming up for another vote today it looks like n/t

[bossy22]

5. wonderful

another $160 billion down the tubes....I'm all for high defense spending but it needs to be spent wisely- these wars have really no strategic value. Cut the wars, take $60 billion and plow it back into the base defense budget and take the other $100 billion and stick it somewhere else in the federal budget that needs money.

[jwirr]

6. Michael Moore on Rachel said we are not fighting just two wars but

six. How have they covered this up in the defense bill?

[bossy22]

7. they are probably referring to covert actions

and drone strikes in countries such as pakistan, yemen....etc

In the grand scheme of things these operations are miniscule

[Tx4obama]

8. Iraq, Afghanistan, African Horn, Columbia, Pakistan, and one other (Yemen?) n/t

[midnight]

11. How very sad to put good money after bad wars...