US House passes $94.5 billion for wars, hurricanes

Washington, June 14 : The US house of Representatives today approved 94.5 billion dollars in additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to continue rebuilding southern states hit by hurricanes last year.

The House voted 351-67 for the ''emergency'' bill on the same day President George W Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and US troops.

The Senate is expected to vote on the measure by Wednesday and then send it to Bush to sign into law.

The legislation provides 65.8 billion that the Pentagon says it urgently needs to buy more combat materials for soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Shortly before the House approved the money, the House Appropriations Committee approved another 50 billion dollar ''bridge fund'' for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This batch of money would pay for combat operations for about six months beginning October 1.

If, as expected, the bridge fund is approved by Congress, US spending on the wars would total about 450 billion dollar, with no slowdown in spending in sight.

During debate of the emergency spending bill yesterday, Republicans tried to highlight recent progress in the war, including a US airstrike that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Rep David Dreier, a senior Republican from California, called the successful airstrike a blow to global terrorism.

But Democrats, who have seen their election-year prospects rise in part from the growing unpopularity of the Iraq war, accused the Bush administration of failing to devise an exit strategy for a mission that is contributing to rapidly growing US debt.

DEMOCRAT: 'COST OF WAR ... HAS BEEN HIDDEN'

''There isn't anybody in this town who has a clue'' how to get US troops out of Iraq, said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the senior Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Obey also said ''the actual cost of the war effectively has been hidden'' by approving funds ''on the installment plan. A little at a time, billion here, 50 billion dollars there.'' The House is expected to more fully debate US policy in Iraq on Thursday.

In addition to approving the war bridge fund, the House Appropriations Committee agreed to make the point that it does not want permanent military bases in Iraq, adding an amendment to bar funding for them. Similar language was stripped in final negotiations with the Senate on the emergency spending bill.

The Bush administration has not ruled out establishing a permanent military presence in Iraq.

Besides war funds, the next biggest lump of funds, 19.8 billion dollars, would be added to rebuilding costs for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other states recovering from Hurricane Katrina and other storms.

Louisiana would get 4.2 billion dollars in new grants, along with other funds to rebuild levees and other damaged infrastructure.

US border security agencies also would get more money this year to control illegal immigration along the southwest border, as would government planning for a possible avian flu pandemic. About billion in additional foreign aid, much of it for Iraq, also is included.

The bill is 14.4 billion dollars smaller than a version originally passed by the Senate.

Some conservatives said the bill still contained wasteful spending not related to wars or hurricanes.

Indiana Republican Rep. Mike Pence voted against the bill, complaining it had 5 billion dollars in unrelated funds for projects including highway repairs in Idaho and oyster research.

Reuters