US Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, US Marine Corps General James Cartwright and vice chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and Army Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly testify before a full committee hearing on ballistic missile defense programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2010 and the Future Years Defense Program at the Dirksen Senate Office on the Captiol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2009.
The biggest chunk of spending - $80 billion - goes to the Pentagon. Of that, $51 billion is for fighting the wars for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
President Barack Obama has said this will be the last "emergency" funding bill for the wars. In the future, war funding is to be included in the regular annual defense budget, where it will receive more scrutiny.
So House and Senate members took a final opportunity to cram a war-funding bill with almost $7 billion worth of equipment that the military did not request. The biggest item: $2.2 billion for eight C-17 cargo planes that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not want. Gates wants to end C-17 production. The Air Force has 205 of the giant planes.
Lawmakers added $1.9 billion to the $2.6 billion the military requested for mine resistant vehicles to be used in Afghanistan, $500 million for seven C-130J cargo planes and another $500 million for National Guard equipment.
There is also $600 million to buy four F-22 stealth fighters that Gates did request, and $332 million to buy UAVs and for other intelligence and reconnaissance initiatives.
Another $1.1 billion is to be spent on efforts to counter roadside bombs.
Lawmakers added $431 million to the Pentagon's request for $2.3 billion in military construction funding. Much of it is intended to support combat operations in Afghanistan.
The bill includes $2.4 billion in aid for Pakistan, $1.4 billion for Afghanistan and $958 million for Iraq.
The bill also includes $7.7 billion to develop and purchase flu vaccine and take other steps to prepare for a pandemic. And there's $1 billion for a "Cash for Clunkers" program that would provide consumers with up to $4,500 if they trade in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones.
The bill adds $10.4 billion in aid for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries.
When sent to Congress in April, the war-funding bill was $83.4 billion. When it emerged two months later, it was $22.6 billion larger.
The Senate passed the spending measure June 18 and sent it to the White House to be signed into law. The House passed it June 16.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
DTN News: U.S. Senate OKs $106Billion For Wars, Equipment, Other Programs
DTN News: U.S. Senate OKs $106Billion For Wars, Equipment, Other Programs
*Sources: DTN News / Defense Media
(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - June 20, 2009: The U.S. Senate approved a $106 billion emergency spending bill to continue paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to fund an assortment of odds and ends, from paying consumers to ditch gas-guzzling autos to preparing for pandemic flu. US Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, US Marine Corps General James Cartwright and vice chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and Army Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly testify before a full committee hearing on ballistic missile defense programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2010 and the Future Years Defense Program at the Dirksen Senate Office on the Captiol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2009.
The biggest chunk of spending - $80 billion - goes to the Pentagon. Of that, $51 billion is for fighting the wars for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
President Barack Obama has said this will be the last "emergency" funding bill for the wars. In the future, war funding is to be included in the regular annual defense budget, where it will receive more scrutiny.
So House and Senate members took a final opportunity to cram a war-funding bill with almost $7 billion worth of equipment that the military did not request. The biggest item: $2.2 billion for eight C-17 cargo planes that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not want. Gates wants to end C-17 production. The Air Force has 205 of the giant planes.
Lawmakers added $1.9 billion to the $2.6 billion the military requested for mine resistant vehicles to be used in Afghanistan, $500 million for seven C-130J cargo planes and another $500 million for National Guard equipment.
There is also $600 million to buy four F-22 stealth fighters that Gates did request, and $332 million to buy UAVs and for other intelligence and reconnaissance initiatives.
Another $1.1 billion is to be spent on efforts to counter roadside bombs.
Lawmakers added $431 million to the Pentagon's request for $2.3 billion in military construction funding. Much of it is intended to support combat operations in Afghanistan.
The bill includes $2.4 billion in aid for Pakistan, $1.4 billion for Afghanistan and $958 million for Iraq.
The bill also includes $7.7 billion to develop and purchase flu vaccine and take other steps to prepare for a pandemic. And there's $1 billion for a "Cash for Clunkers" program that would provide consumers with up to $4,500 if they trade in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones.
The bill adds $10.4 billion in aid for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries.
When sent to Congress in April, the war-funding bill was $83.4 billion. When it emerged two months later, it was $22.6 billion larger.
The Senate passed the spending measure June 18 and sent it to the White House to be signed into law. The House passed it June 16.
US Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, US Marine Corps General James Cartwright and vice chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff and Army Lt. General Patrick O'Reilly testify before a full committee hearing on ballistic missile defense programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2010 and the Future Years Defense Program at the Dirksen Senate Office on the Captiol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 16, 2009.
The biggest chunk of spending - $80 billion - goes to the Pentagon. Of that, $51 billion is for fighting the wars for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
President Barack Obama has said this will be the last "emergency" funding bill for the wars. In the future, war funding is to be included in the regular annual defense budget, where it will receive more scrutiny.
So House and Senate members took a final opportunity to cram a war-funding bill with almost $7 billion worth of equipment that the military did not request. The biggest item: $2.2 billion for eight C-17 cargo planes that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not want. Gates wants to end C-17 production. The Air Force has 205 of the giant planes.
Lawmakers added $1.9 billion to the $2.6 billion the military requested for mine resistant vehicles to be used in Afghanistan, $500 million for seven C-130J cargo planes and another $500 million for National Guard equipment.
There is also $600 million to buy four F-22 stealth fighters that Gates did request, and $332 million to buy UAVs and for other intelligence and reconnaissance initiatives.
Another $1.1 billion is to be spent on efforts to counter roadside bombs.
Lawmakers added $431 million to the Pentagon's request for $2.3 billion in military construction funding. Much of it is intended to support combat operations in Afghanistan.
The bill includes $2.4 billion in aid for Pakistan, $1.4 billion for Afghanistan and $958 million for Iraq.
The bill also includes $7.7 billion to develop and purchase flu vaccine and take other steps to prepare for a pandemic. And there's $1 billion for a "Cash for Clunkers" program that would provide consumers with up to $4,500 if they trade in old vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones.
The bill adds $10.4 billion in aid for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries.
When sent to Congress in April, the war-funding bill was $83.4 billion. When it emerged two months later, it was $22.6 billion larger.
The Senate passed the spending measure June 18 and sent it to the White House to be signed into law. The House passed it June 16.
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