31 October 2003
U.S. House Approves $87.5 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan
Congressional Report, October 31: Supplemental Funding Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved an $87.5 billion supplemental spending bill in response to President Bush's request for additional funds to support continuing U.S. military operations and reconstruction programs in Iraq and Afghanistan.
By a vote of 298-121, the House approved the compromise measure late October 30. Voting for the bill were 216 Republicans and 82 Democrats, while 115 Democrats and five Republicans voted against it.
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously late October 30 that the bill would be given automatic approval November 3, following House approval.
"Congress stood with the president and our soldiers tonight, sending them the support they need to defend our nation and all those working to advance freedom abroad. The funding package is an essential part of the Iraq exit strategy," said Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 3 ranking Republican in the House. "The sooner we bring prosperity back to the region, the sooner we bring our sons and daughters home safe."
However, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, disagreed.
"Because President Bush lacked an adequate plan for postwar Iraq, American soldiers are taking virtually all of the risks and American taxpayers are paying virtually all of the bills," she said.
President Bush had originally asked Congress for a supplemental spending package of $87.039 billion on September 7. Congress, after considerable debate on the House and Senate floors and in a House-Senate conference committee, approved a spending package of $87.543 billion. The extra funding is to go to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for natural disasters such as the California wildfires and the recent damage caused by Hurricane Isabel.
What was not included in the final spending bill was an amendment originally inserted by the Senate that would have required Iraq to repay at least some of the $18.6 billion reconstruction aid using Iraqi oil revenue. The White House had threatened to veto the measure if that provision was included in the final piece of legislation.
Congress also removed a Senate amendment that would have required Iraq to repay $10 billion in reconstruction funds unless foreign nations forgave at least 90 percent of Iraq's estimated $125 billion in foreign debt.
The supplemental spending legislation will provide $65.750 billion for continuing U.S. military operations and national security-related matters in Iraq and Afghanistan, up slightly from the $65.560 billion originally sought by the president.
President Bush had sought $21.479 billion in funding for reconstruction programs in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the Congress approved $21.792 billion. Of that amount, Iraq's reconstruction would receive $18.649 billion, slightly less than the $20.304 billion the administration had sought for Iraq.
Afghanistan reconstruction would receive $1.2 billion, up $400 million from the amount the president had sought.
Also, included in the measure is $245 million for peacekeeping operations in Liberia, and $44 million for a secure U.S. embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Finally, the measure includes $50 million for rewards for information leading to the capture of Saddam Hussein and terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
This page printed from: http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2003&m=October&x=20031031130750hrellekm0.9212305&t=usinfo/wf-latest.html
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