Congress Approves $162 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan Wars

[Wretched Excess]

Congress Approves $162 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan Wars

 June 27 (Bloomberg) -- Congress gave final approval to legislation providing $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan along with funding for veterans and unemployment benefits sought by Democrats.

The Senate voted 92-6 last night to approve the spending bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives last week. It next goes to President George W. Bush who has said he will sign it.

The legislation allocates money for the wars until mid- 2009, when Bush's successor will be in office, and ends the 18- month legislative battle in which Bush resisted Democratic efforts to tie war funding to demands for troop withdrawals.

``Congress has given the president everything he's asked for'' on the war, said Mackenzie Eaglen, senior policy analyst for national security at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, a policy group with close ties to the Republican Party.

Attempts by Democrats to force a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq -- a central issue in their successful 2006 campaign to take control of both chambers in Congress -- were thwarted by Bush's veto pen or stymied in the Senate where the 51-49 Democratic majority was unable to overcome Republican opposition.

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[MPCOA]

Does this mean that I will still get payed?

[formerlurker]

Does this mean that I will still get payed?

The defense bill was already signed.   This is to fund the war (and a bunch of domestic programs it appears). 

[Wretched Excess]

Does this mean that I will still get payed?

The defense bill was already signed.   This is to fund the war (and a bunch of domestic programs it appears). 

an extension of unemployment  benefits, which will just increase the amount of time that people are unemployed (hello?!  unemployment is at 5% . . . what's the emergency here?), and a provision to increase the GI bill, and uncouple it from length of service.  mccain favored a provision that tied the amount of the benefit to service length, but also made the benefit transferable to family members.  I think mccain's amendment was better, but I really don't have a problem with increasing any benefit of any kind to servicemen and women.

but the administration got the war funded without a single string attached.  the dems literally rolled over on this.

[Crazy Horse]

The benefit of the GI Bill should go with a time in service.

[formerlurker]

The benefit of the GI Bill should go with a time in service.

It does.   The new 9/11 bill bases benefits on years of service after 9/11 in graduated percentages.  Transfering benefits to dependents requires reenlistment < --  I think that is a fantastic option to help pay for incredibly expensive college costs of their children. 

   

[Bluesuiter-Retired]

They should have lifted the cap on how long veterans have to use their education benefits.

In Montana, we have this moron defeatocrat who is running for the senate who says he will vote to defund the war.

I say moron because he has absolutely no idea what that money is spent on - food, ammunition, fuel, new body armor - you know, the basics for keeping the troops alive!

Yep, and the DEFEATOCRATS love to claim they support the troops.