U.S. House OKs $92B for wars, hurricane cleanup
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-17 08:55

The House voted soundly on Thursday to give President Bush $92 billion more for Iraq, Afghanistan and Gulf Coast hurricane relief, despite bipartisan worries about the ballooning costs of the war and the recovery effort.

On a 348-71 vote, Republicans and Democrats joined to support the measure, eager to vote to back the troops in the field and help hurricane reconstruction eight months before a congressional election 锟斤拷 even at a time of massive budget shortfalls.

"Concerns about the deficit and spending are overridden by the urgent issues before us 锟斤拷 supporting our troops and helping the hurricane victims," said Rep. Joe Wilson (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C.

Not everyone saw it that way. Nineteen Republicans, mostly fiscal conservatives, and 52 Democrats, including longtime war opponents, voted against the measure.

The bulk of the bill, $67.6 billion, would pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once approved, the money would boost to nearly $400 billion the total spent on the conflicts and operations against terrorism since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"It gives our fighting forces all the tools they need to be successful," said Rep. Duncan Hunter (news, bio, voting record), R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, objected: "Not one more dime for this administration's ill-conceived, ill-advised, misguided and failed Iraq policy."

The bill also contains $19.2 billion for cleaning up and rebuilding the Gulf Coast after Katrina struck last summer. That would bring total hurricane-related spending to more than $100 billion.

The Senate plans to complete its version of the measure this spring. Congress is to send a final bill to the president's desk shortly thereafter.

Lawmakers took up the bill at a delicate time, particularly for Republicans who control the White House and both houses of Congress. Bush's popularity is at a low point, the federal deficit continues to rise and public support for the Bush administration's Iraq policies is waning as sectarian violence threatens to push the country into civil war.

AP-Ipsos polling in early March showed that about four in 10 Americans supported the president's handling of Iraq, his efforts on foreign policy and terrorism, and his handling of the hurricane recovery.

Despite such widespread public dissatisfaction, lawmakers from both parties backed the measure. Opposing it could invite election-year criticism for Republicans and Democrats alike that they were shortchanging troops at war or abandoning hurricane victims.

"Everybody supports the troops and everyone knows that as long as they're there, we're going to give them what they need," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash. "I just regret that we have to pass this (debt) on to future generations."

The spending bill also includes, in defiance of Bush, a provision that would block Dubai-owned DP World from running or managing terminals at U.S. ports. That ban probably will not make it into the final bill now that the company has promised to sell its U.S. operations in the face of bipartisan congressional pressure.

Before the final vote, Republicans defeated a Democratic effort to add $1.2 billion for domestic security programs, including $825 million for protecting ports. Conservative Republicans, wanting to lessen the impact on the deficit, failed in an attempt to pay for the hurricane aid by cutting other programs in the budget.

The president would get most of what he requested. Much of the new war money would pay for operations and maintenance costs, equipment replacement and personnel expenses.

Of the total, $4.8 billion would go for training and equipping Iraqi and Afghan security forces. The administration contends that large numbers of U.S. troops can begin returning home once the Iraqi security forces themselves are able to safeguard their country.

The bill would provide more money for armored vehicles and nearly $2 billion for the Pentagon to develop technology to detect and destroy makeshift roadside bombs. Also known as improvised explosive devices, these are the Iraq insurgency's weapon of choice and the leading killer of U.S. troops.

Of the hurricane money, nearly $9.6 billion would go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for removing debris, reimbursing state and local governments for building repairs and helping storm victims.

In the six months since Katrina hit, Republicans and Democrats have criticized FEMA's response to the storm; some objected to giving the agency so much money.

To address such concerns, the House would provide $13.5 billion to the Homeland Security Department inspector general to audit and investigate disaster assistance.