US Senate and House agreed Tuesday to spend some US$460 billion in baseline defense budget for fiscal year 2008, but left most of the US$196 billion of war funding request undecided.
The Democrats, who control both chambers, are pondering to approve war funding in another appropriation separate from the defense appropriation bill for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.
Except US$11 billion earmarked for the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, the US$460 billion agreed by negotiators from both the Senate and the House give no money for the ongoing war.
The Democrats also plan to approve the Bush administration's war funding request in two- to six-month increments, with limitations aimed at forcing a complete withdrawal of US combat troops by Christmas 2008.
But that plan has not been finalized yet and some Republicans are accusing Democrats of denying money to support troops in combat.
"It is a political ploy to try end the war by starving the troops," said Ted Stevens, the former chairman and now ranking Republican on the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the House defense appropriations subcommittee chairman, said Stevens is exaggerating the potential impact.
A decision on the exact wording of a war-funding bill could be made this week, Murtha said.
Stevens said the White House has opposed any efforts to put strings on war-related funding and is unlikely to change its policy, which could create a hardship for the military if the president is forced to veto a war-funding bill.
However, Murtha said he believes the military can continue to pay war-related costs through May or June by using congressionally provided flexibility to divert money from other budget accounts, which sets the stage for a major battle over war funding next year just as the 2008 congressional and presidential elections heat up.
Since the Bush administration launched the war against Iraq in 2003, the Congress has approved more than US$412 billion to support war efforts there.
(Xinhua News Agency November 7, 2007)
