The House and Senate, eager to show support for American troops in combat, last night overwhelmingly approved measures to provide nearly $80 billion to finance the war in Iraq, strengthen defenses against terrorism at home and help financially troubled airlines.
The votes were 93 to 0 in the Senate and 414 to 12 in the House.
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski calls for more homeland security funding. Next to her, from left, are Israel Miranda, Sen. Charles E. Schumer, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senate Democratic leader Thomas A. Daschle.
(Gerald Herbert -- AP)
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Agreeing on financial support for the war even as they squabbled over funding for homeland security, the two houses appeared determined to work out differences in time to send the legislation to President Bush by the end of next week -- taking only three weeks to complete work that often takes three months or more.
A swift House-Senate conference is planned with the aim of getting final passage before Congress leaves next Thursday or Friday for a two-week spring recess, the deadline set by Bush for enactment of the legislation.
As the bills moved toward passage, the Bush administration, backed by key Democrats, fended off two efforts by conservative Republicans to punish three traditional U.S. allies that they regard as obstacles to the U.S. effort to disarm and depose the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
A proposal to block France, Germany, Russia and Syria from postwar reconstruction contracts passed by voice vote in the House as both chambers headed into night sessions to finish the bills. But the U.S. subsidiaries of companies organized in those countries could still compete for reconstruction contracts.
Rep. George R. Nethercutt (R-Wash.), who introduced the bill along with Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-Minn.), said "this amendment sends a signal to our allies that we appreciate those who support us in our time of need and remember those that have sought to thwart coalition efforts to defeat Saddam Hussein's regime. The coalition of the unwilling should not participate in reconstruction with U.S. tax dollars."
The House voted 315 to 110 to reject a proposal by Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) to remove $1 billion that the administration had requested for Turkey, which refused to allow the United States to invade Iraq from its territory, although it recently agreed to allow shipments of food, fuel and other nonmilitary supplies.
"There has to be some message sent to countries who endanger U.S. and allied soldiers," Cunningham said.
"Turkey has stood by us for five decades," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) responded. "They deserve a little leeway for that."
In the Senate, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) proposed and then withdrew an amendment aimed at denying contracts for the postwar reconstruction of Iraq to French and German companies and individuals, a response to the two countries' opposition to military action against Baghdad. Ensign's proposal had been opposed by the White House and the State Department, and drew scathing denunciations from Democrats.
The two countries should be barred from contracts because their behavior was "really quite despicable," Ensign said.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that "if America is going to become an arrogant nation . . . this is a good way to begin."
The House and Senate spending bills would give Bush slightly more than he sought when he requested more war and anti-terrorism funding early last week. Bush requested a total of nearly $75 billion. The House bill calls for about $78 billion, while the Senate measure offers about $80 billion.
Both measures allocate roughly $62 billion for military operations, as Bush requested. They also provide slightly more than the $7.8 billion that Bush requested for foreign aid.
But both houses, eager to preserve their powers of the purse in dealing with a president who does not like his hands tied by Congress, gave Bush less flexibility than he wants in spending the military funds. The White House has complained but has not threatened a veto.
Both houses also added money -- $3.2 billion by the House and $2.7 billion by the Senate -- to help the nation's struggling airlines with terrorism-related security costs. The administration has said these amounts are excessive, implying that it would accept some aid but not as much as Congress wants.
For homeland security, the House stuck by Bush's request of $4.2 billion, while the Senate started with $4.6 billion and added to it, including some compromises worked out with Democrats, who had been pushing for larger increases.
In a series of votes yesterday on homeland security proposals, the Senate's 51 Republicans held their ranks against some Democratic proposals and cut deals on other, politically sensitive initiatives.
The Senate rejected, 50 to 47, a proposal by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) to spend $30 million on the development of countermeasures to protect commercial airliners from heat-seeking, shoulder-fired missiles that authorities are concerned may be used by terrorists. Also rejected, 52 to 46, was a proposal by Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) to add $2.9 billion for border and transportation security.
But Republicans agreed to allocate $105 million to help state and local health officials fund inoculations against smallpox and other pathogens that might be used as terrorist weapons, although they objected to a larger request from Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.).
Instead of accepting a Democratic proposal to add $2.3 billion for first responders and high-risk areas, the Senate voted to allocate $500 million -- $300 million of it taken from state and local grants and $200 million added to the bill -- for cities such as New York and Washington. This was in addition to the $100 million already provided in the bill for such urban areas.
Pressed by Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) to increase funding for veterans' medical services in anticipation of the increased demand after the war in Iraq, Republicans agreed to a compromise of $155 million.
The Senate also approved $600 million in humanitarian food assistance for the Iraqi people.
As Democrats continued offering homeland security amendments throughout the day, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) finally became angry, accusing them of forcing votes that could be used against Republican incumbents in the 2004 elections.
In another of a series of unsuccessful efforts to cut special interest and pork barrel spending out of appropriations bills, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was defeated, 60 to 39, when he tried to knock six projects totaling about $250 million out of the war and terrorism measure.
