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Iraq

War spending bill clears final congressional hurdle

WASHINGTON - Congress approved an additional $82-billion for Iraq and Afghanistan and combating terrorism worldwide on Tuesday, boosting the cost of the global effort since 2001 to more than $300-billion.

The Senate approved the measure by a 100-0 vote Tuesday. The House easily approved the measure last week. It now goes to President Bush for his signature, which is certain.

The president praised Congress for showing bipartisan support for U.S. troops and efforts to fight terrorism. "New democracies are taking root in Iraq and Afghanistan, and America is proud to stand with them. This legislation will help America continue to promote freedom and democracy," Bush said in a statement.

The fifth such emergency spending package Congress has taken up since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the bill includes sweeping immigration changes, a nearly tenfold increase in the one-time payment for families of troops killed in combat and money to build a sprawling U.S. Embassy in Iraq.

Most of the money - $75.9-billion - is slated for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while $4.2-billion goes to foreign aid and other international relations programs.

The president sent Congress his spending proposal in February and the final bill - a compromise between versions passed by the House and Senate - looks largely like what he requested.

Sen. Thad Cochran, a Mississippi Republican and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the final bill "a genuine compromise between the two bodies on legislation that is of utmost importance to our troops who are deployed in the war on terror and for our allies around the world." Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the bill was "absolutely critical to winning the war on terror."

Democrats used the opportunity to criticize the Bush administration for its Iraq policies and said the bill should not have included the immigration provisions.

The measure requires states to start issuing more uniform drivers' licenses and verify the citizenship or legal status of people getting them. It also toughens asylum laws, authorizes the completion of a fence across the California-Mexican border and provides money to hire more border security agents.

Overall, the measure reflects a desire by lawmakers to give the Pentagon what it needs while holding the line on State Department spending. Lawmakers provided about $1-billion more than the president had sought for defense and about $1.5-billion less than he wanted for international relations programs.

[Last modified May 11, 2005, 00:47:09]