Senate committee passes $58.8B war-funding bill

[unhappycamper]

Senate committee passes $58.8B war-funding bill
By Andrew Taylor - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 13, 2010 17:30:56 EDT

WASHINGTON — A key Senate panel approved a $58.8 billion war funding measure Thursday that would raise the total price tag for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan over the decade to $1 trillion.

The measure, approved by a unanimous 30-0 vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee, blends about $30 billion for President Obama’s 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan with more than $5 billion to replenish disaster aid accounts, provide Haitian earthquake relief, and make a downpayment on aid to flood-drenched Tennessee and Rhode Island.

The must-pass legislation is the only appropriations bill likely to advance to Obama’s desk until September and is a tempting target for Democrats seeking to add money for a summer jobs program or to help to local school district to retain teachers. But Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, a Democrat, is resisting such add-ons to build Republican support for the bill.

~snip~

In a break with tradition, the Senate is advancing the war funding measure before the House acts on it. Many of Obama’s Democratic allies in the House oppose war funding and the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, has not been in any hurry to bring Obama’s war funding request to a vote.

The war funding comes on top of $130 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan money provided to the Pentagon in December.

[gmoney]

1. "try to think of it as a jobs program"

:sarcasm:

[Oregone]

2. Fuck yes! Its a win baby. We will fix it later!

:woohoo:

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. So - how much money will they have left if someone REALLY attacks the USA??

.
.
.

and it's just not the money

How many willing bodies will the USA have to defend the mainland if it should ever come to that

Lord, and everyone else knows, that most of the USA's supposedly "defense" people and equipment are deployed elsewhere on the globe.

Someone back decades ago decided to rename the "Department of War" to "Department of Defense"

I think they should take the old title back

It would certainly be more accurate.

[gratuitous]

4. "In a break with tradition . . ."

Not to mention the Constitution, which specifies that revenue bills are to originate in the House. Ah well, who cares about that quaint old document anymore anyway?

[WCGreen]

5. Silly me...

I thought all revenue and spending bills had to originate in the house..

It looks like they found away to pursue their blood lust...

[Winterblues]

6. I seem to recall Obama saying he would NEVER again ask for supplemental war spending.

He said it would always be included within the Budget from that time forward. since he made that statement this is his second and possibly third supplemental request..Can we believe a single thing he says?

[inna]

9. No, we can't, apparently.

:shrug:

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. NO WE CAN'T!

[polichick]

7. Score $58.8 for the military industrial complex - woohoo! nt

[spanone]

8. warmongering motherfuckers

[Echo In Light]

10. K/R

[msongs]

12. we could bail out ALL US public schools and have cash left over for Obama's wars nt

[amborin]

13. sickening

[ladjf]

14. Please some wasting U.S. money on the wrong causes.

We need to get the hell out of Irag and Afghanistan as soon as possible.