http://www.newsmax.com/us/Bipartisan_War_Funding_/2008/06/18/105727.html
Bipartisan War Funding Bill Finally Agreed On
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
WA****NGTON -- President Bush would win $162 billion in long-overdue
funding to carry out military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into
next year under a bipartisan agreement sealed on Capitol Hill on
Wednesday.
The agreement reached between House Democrats and Republicans and the
White House — if passed into law as expected — would finally put to
rest Bush's long-standing battles with congressional Democrats over
war funding.
House passage of the bill, expected Thursday, would also pave the way
for a quick infusion of emergency flood relief for the Midwest, a
13-week extension of unemployment payments for the longtime jobless
and a big boost in GI Bill college for veterans.
The latest installment of war funding would bring to well over $600
billion the amount of money provided by Congress to conduct the
unpopular war in Iraq. It would also give Bush's successor several
months to set Iraq policy after taking office in January — and spares
lawmakers the need to cast another war-related vote closer to Election
Day.
House Democratic and Republican leaders announced the agreement
Wednesday afternoon. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.,
withheld an outright endorsement but through a spokesman praised
several key elements of the deal.
"This is an agreement that has been worked out in a bipartisan way
that I think is acceptable to both most Democrats and most
Republicans," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
White House Budget Director Jim Nussle signaled Bush would sign the
measure.
"It meets the needs of the troops; it doesn't tie the hands of
commanders in the field," Nussle said. He also said the spending
levels in the bill stayed within Bush's demands. The latter claim was
a stretch since the measure will carry new GI Bill benefits, as well
as additional unemployment payments that Bush had threatened to veto.
But the agreement drops restrictions on Bush's ability to conduct the
war and gives him almost all of the funding he sought well over a year
ago for Iraq and Afghanistan.
The White House — and Capitol Hill Republicans — had signaled greater
flexibility in recent weeks after Democrats orchestrated impressive
votes to more than double GI Bill college benefits and give a 13-week
extension of unemployment payments for people whose benefits have run
out.
In late-stage talks, Democrats dropped a provision to pay for the GI
college benefits by imposing a half-percentage point income tax
surcharge on incomes exceeding $500,000 for singles and incomes over
$1 million earned by married couples. They also dropped a plan to
extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks in states with
particularly high unemployment rates.
Democrats and governors across the country emerged the victors in a
battle with the White House to block new Bush administration rules
designed to cut spending on Medicaid health care for the poor and
disabled.
The war funding bill had bedeviled Democratic leaders for months. Its
passage has become more urgent with looming furloughs next month of
civilian employees and contract workers.
Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats are upset that the new GI Bill
benefits, with costs tentatively estimated at $62 billion over the
next decade, will be added to the deficit instead of being "paid for"
as called for under House rules.
"We know the day of reckoning is coming," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza,
D-Calif., who called the measure "totally irresponsible."
The new GI Bill essentially would guarantee a full scholar****p at any
in-state public university, along with a monthly housing stipend, for
people who serve in the military for at least three years. It is aimed
at replicating the benefits awarded veterans of World War II and more
than doubles the value of the benefit — from $40,000 today to $90,000.
Full details of the nuts and bolts of the measure won't be released
until Thursday.
But Nussle said the measure would provide $2.6 billion in additional
disaster aid to replenish accounts already being tapped to deal with
the terrible flooding across the Midwest.
It also contains $5.8 billion sought by Bush for next year to build
levees and other flood control projects around New Orleans.
The bill is slated to be considered under an unusual procedure in
which funding for the war would be voted on separately from the GI
Bill, unemployment insurance extension and other domestic measures,
such as additional funding for the glitch-plagued 2010 census.
The procedural setup allows anti-war Democrats to avoid votes to fund
the war while still ensuring the money advances to Bush on his terms.
In a vote last month, House Democrats tried to force Bush to begin
troops withdrawals within 30 days with a goal of full withdrawal of
combat troops within 18 months. The Senate easily killed the idea.
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