Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=04/03/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CONGRESS/WAR FUNDING (L)

NUMBER=2-301721

BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON

DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Congress is debating legislation to fund the initial costs of the war in Iraq. In debate in both the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans clashed over Democratic efforts to add more money to help pay for homeland security in the United States. V-O-A's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill:

TEXT: A House bill contains 77-point-nine-billion dollars, the Senate version just under a billion dollars more.

Under President Bush's original request, about 63-billion dollars, will go to the Pentagon to pay for actual war costs.

Other amounts are for foreign assistance to U-S allies such as Israel, Jordan, and Turkey as well as Pakistan to defray Iraq-related costs, as well as to Afghanistan and the Philippines to help in the fight against terrorism.

Each bill contains about two-billion dollars requested by the Bush administration for homeland security.

However, Democrats say that is not sufficient. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi spoke to reporters as debate in the House of Representatives began:

/// PELOSI ACT ///

As we support the men and women in uniform in Iraq, it's hard to understand how we can underfund the needs of our men and women in uniform on the frontline of homeland defense in America.

/// END ACT ///

In debate on the House floor, Republicans said Democrats chose the wrong time to add spending. (Here is) Nevada Republican Jim Gibbons:

/// GIBBONS ACT ///

I want to express strong opposition to the process which creates any delay in the expedient delivery of necessary funding to our nation's brave servicemen and women.

/// END ACT ///

In the Senate, Democrats also want to add more money about five billion dollars -- for homeland security to similar legislation.

But debate in that chamber also reflected continuing unhappiness on the part of many lawmakers with opposition to the U.S.-led war to disarm Iraq by some key allies.

(Republican) Senator John Ensign introduced an amendment to bar French and German participation in Iraqi reconstruction:

/// ENSIGN ACT ///

When the conflict is over, and we're going to rebuild Iraq, American taxpayer dollars are not to go in the rebuilding of Iraq to French or German companies, to French or German citizens, because of what their governments did in opposing the United States.

/// END ACT ///

Fellow Republicans, and key Democratic Senators, opposed Mr. Ensign's amendment. A similar effort in the House was rejected in committee.

/// OPT /// About one-billion dollars in aid to Turkey requested by the administration remains controversial in both the House and Senate. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage urged House lawmakers not to eliminate or reduce the aid, saying to do so would harm long-term ties with Ankara. /// END OPT ///

When President Bush sent the war request to Capitol Hill, he asked that it not be loaded with billions in additional spending for purposes not directly related to the Iraqi conflict.

Republican Senator John McCain expressed dismay that Senate lawmakers were trying to do just that:

/// MCCAIN ACT ///

Today with many of our young men and women in harm's way, we should be considering a measure to support the ongoing war efforts and our nation's security needs, free of earmarked or unauthorized provisions. Unfortunately, that's not the case in the bill before us.

/// END ACT ///

House and Senate bills contain about three-billion dollars to help financially-struggling U-S airlines, a figure the White House has called "excessive." (signed)

NEB/DAR/MEM