Washington in brief

Bush asks Congress for $1.9-billion

WASHINGTON - President Bush asked Congress on Monday for an additional $1.9-billion to cover more of this year's costs of rebuilding from natural disasters, combatting wildfires and investigating the space shuttle Columbia disaster.

Republican leaders want to move the measure quickly through the House and Senate without any added expenditures.

The White House is seeking funds for the remaining weeks of the government's budget year, which runs through Sept. 30. All the money would come by enlarging the federal deficit, which is already expected to set a record this year and exceed $400-billion.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Rear Adm. Rodney Rempt, president of the Naval War College, has been nominated by the president to be the next superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Rempt would succeed Vice Adm. Richard Naughton, 56, who resigned June 3 after the naval inspector general found he had used "unlawful force" when he allegedly grabbed the arm of a Marine guard who asked for his identification. Naughton told investigators he did nothing wrong.

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