House boosts clean energy, veteran funds (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

House boosts clean energy, veteran funds
By ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON -- Democrats gave big increases to programs aimed
at making cars and buildings more energy efficient and boosting
research and development of alternative energy sources in
legislation approved Wednesday by the House Appropriations
Committee.

At the same time, the panel rejected the Bush administration's
plans to develop a new, sturdier nuclear warhead. The lawmakers
said it would send the wrong signal to the world on nuclear
nonproliferation and should not be pursued before a comprehensive
strategy on future nuclear weapons needs is developed. Overall,
the bill would cut $632 million from President Bush's request
for nuclear weapons programs.

The panel also approved separate legislation providing a 13 percent
increase over current-year funding for veterans health care programs.
That bill, also funding construction at military bases, faces a White
House veto threat for exceeding Bush's budget request by $4 billion.

But House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey, D-Wis.,
dismissed Bush's veto threat over politically popular increases for
veterans programs as "not credible," and Republicans joined
Democrats in approving the veterans funding measure by a 56-0
vote.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.charlotte.com/559/story/149811.html

[kestrel91316]

1. Oh, yay. But Bush will VETO all this, I am thinking........