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Congress looks to finish Kosovo appropriations by next week
May 7, 1999 WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, May 7) -- President Bill Clinton may have Congress' emergency appropriations bill for U.S. operations in Kosovo on his desk by next week. The House approved, 311-105, a $13.1 billion dollar appropriations measure Thursday night. The Senate next begins work on its bill, which is expected to be closer to the $6 billion Clinton requested last month. Republican leaders hope to pass that bill by next week.
The money to fund the U.S. portion of NATO's military and humanitarian effort in the Balkans is slated to come out of this year Social Security surplus, a key factor in the Senate's ultimate appropriation. Senators from both parties are reluctant to spend that money because of their many public pledges to save the surplus to shore up the retirement system. House Republicans, on the other hand, used the Kosovo appropriation bill as the opportunity to pass additional funding to buttress U.S. forces around the globe, claiming Clinton has "gutted the American military." "The White House has bombed its way around the globe while dropping troops far and wide for ill-defined peacemaking duties," said House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas). "This policy has gutted the American military -- which now must be rebuilt." GOP add-ons to the president's request include money for a military pay and pension increase, recruitment, readiness training, spare parts, base operations and a billion dollars in military construction for overseas projects -- many of which the Pentagon hasn't requested.
"That was the strongest expression of support we can give them (the troops) with this bill today," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young (R-Florida). Some analysts expect a House-Senate compromise to top out around $9 billion. And Republican leaders are saying they may develop a compromise that would remove the military readiness add-ons from the Kosovo bill and put them on another appropriation bill Clinton supports. The other bill, which contains aid for victims of Hurricane Mitch and assistance to American farmers hurt by low commodity prices, has been hung up in Congress for weeks. In fact, on Thursday lawmakers, on voice votes, added to the Kosovo bill nearly $110 million in assistance for America farmers and $67 million in refugee aid for hurricane victims in Central America. Emphasizing the difficulty of vetoing money for a military pay raise while troops are in combat, the White House is urging Congress to pass the appropriations request without a bitter debate over military readiness by cutting the bill and adding aid for U.S. farmers and Central America. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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MORE STORIES:Friday, May 7, 1999
• Senate committee outlines responsibility for China technology transfers • Congress looks to finish Kosovo appropriations by next week • Dole's latest campaign swing earns her the political play of the week • Presidential campaigns take to the Internet • Clinton to contest $495,500 reimbursement request from Jones lawyers • Bush using Texas to build record • Lawmakers push to end sodas at school lunch • Lies about George Washington: And he didn't sleep here, either • Puerto Ricans say Congress must take lead on territory's future • Slave's kin to attend Jefferson family reunion for the first time • Democratic fund-raiser's tax evasion trial begins • Gore switches roles from host to guest on CNN • Transcript: Gore calls on software and movie industries to reduce violence in products • Back from Europe, Clinton switches focus to fund-raising • Energy secretary: 'Blame game' hurts nuclear security | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
