Washington: The US Senate has rejected
emergency funding for military operations in Afghanistan,
sending it back to the House of Representatives because it
included billions in non-military spending.
The budget supplemental is intended to finance the 30,000
extra troops that US President Barack Obama ordered to
Afghanistan in December.
The senators however rejected late yesterday the funding
language approved by the House on July 1, which included some
20 billion dollars in spending on items including teaching
positions, youth summer jobs, and scholarships.
The Pentagon says they need the money before Congress
goes on its summer recess in August to properly fund war
operations.
The Senate approved the supplementary funding in May, but
the House added provisions for education, with lawmakers
defending the additions as addressing urgent needs for
education spending.
The current measure also includes USD 2.8 billion for aid
to Haiti, as well as money to pay for the US withdrawal from
Iraq, aid to Pakistan, and funds for the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), responsible for federal assistance
when natural disasters strike.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 23, 2010, 23:12