GOP Senator Would Limit How Bush Could Spend Iraq $25 B ($5 B slush only)

[papau]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB06UNNZUD.html

Top GOP Senator Would Limit How Bush Could Spend $25 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan

By Alan Fram Associated Press Writer
Published: Jun 2, 2004

WASHINGTON (AP) - A leading Senate Republican said Wednesday he will propose limiting President Bush's flexibility in spending $25 billion the president has requested for U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan later this year.
Administration officials immediately backed down from the White House position that Bush be able to control the funds with little say from Congress. Instead, they told Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, his proposal provided them sufficient flexibility for spending the money.

Their concession underscored the bipartisan opposition sparked by Bush's proposal to have virtually full control over the funds. Lawmakers widely support the money itself, and it is expected to pass Congress easily later this year. <snip>

Legislation the White House submitted said Bush "may" spend $20 billion of the funds for operations and maintenance, mostly for the Army, plus another $5 billion he could use for any defense or classified programs.

Stevens said his bill will divide the money among those same accounts, but make it mandatory that the money be spent that way. In effect, that would leave Bush with discretion over just $5 billion. <snip>

[struggle4progress]

1. $5 billion slush fund? Borrow and spend! Borrow and spend!

Borrow and spend! Red ink! Red ink! Borrow and spend!

[maddezmom]

2. bush and his cronies probably already spent that 5 billion on Halliburton

moving empty trucks around Iraq.

[teryang]

3. November's getting close, time to pretend...

...that you didn't carelessly piss away hundreds of billions of taxpayer funds on what you haven't got a clue.

Try to pretend this Congress wasn't anything but an ass wipe for junior and his corrupt buddies.

[struggle4progress]

4. Lawmakers OK $25 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan, but limit Bush's ...

... flexibility

The Senate and a House committee voted Wednesday to give President Bush the $25 billion he wants for U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan later this year, but denied him the free hand he sought to control the money.
<snip>
By 95-0, the Senate voted to add the $25 billion to a measure laying out overall defense programs for next year, bringing its total to $447 billion. But while Bush wanted to decide how the entire $25 billion would be spent after simply informing Congress, the Senate would let him do so with just $2.5 billion and divides the rest among broad but specified accounts.
<snip>
The House panel assigned all but $3 billion of the $25 billion to programs it specified to far more detail than the Senate did. Under the House bill, Bush could transfer $1 billion on his own, and could shift $2 billion more but only with lawmakers' approval.
<snip>
Lawmakers widely support the $25 billion and are expected to pass it easily later this year. The administration is expected to eventually seek more than $50 billion for next year's military actions in the two countries.
<snip>
http://www.boston.com/dailynews/154/wash/Lawmakers_OK_25_billion_for_Ir:.shtml