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Congress gives final OK to $87.5 billion for Iraq, Afghanistan
Washington, Nov 04: Congress has voted its final approval for $87.5 billion for US military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, a day after Americans in Iraqendured their worst casualties since March.
Washington, Nov 04: Congress has voted its final approval for $87.5 billion for US military operations and aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, a day after Americans in Iraq
endured their worst casualties since March.
In an anticlimactic moment for which only a handful of Senators appeared, the Senate approved the bill by voice and handed a legislative victory to President George W Bush,
who had requested a similar package two months ago, yesterday.
The voice vote- in which Democratic Sen Robert Byrd was the only one to shout ``nay``- let lawmakers sidestep the roll call that usually accompanies major legislation. That underscored the complicated political calculus presented by the measure, which was dominated by popular funds for US forces but also sparked questions about Bush`s post-war Iraq policies and record budget deficits at home.
``As the president said time and time again, we will not walk away from Iraq,`` said Senate appropriations committee chairman Ted Stevens, a leading author of the bill. ``We will not leave the Iraqi people in chaos, and we will not create a vacuum for terrorist groups to fill.`` In the latest blow to Iraq`s US occupiers, 19 American troops were killed there on Sunday. That included 16 who died when a missile brought down a US Army transport helicopter west of Baghdad, a crash in which 21 other Americans were wounded.
Bureau Report
The voice vote- in which Democratic Sen Robert Byrd was the only one to shout ``nay``- let lawmakers sidestep the roll call that usually accompanies major legislation. That underscored the complicated political calculus presented by the measure, which was dominated by popular funds for US forces but also sparked questions about Bush`s post-war Iraq policies and record budget deficits at home.
``As the president said time and time again, we will not walk away from Iraq,`` said Senate appropriations committee chairman Ted Stevens, a leading author of the bill. ``We will not leave the Iraqi people in chaos, and we will not create a vacuum for terrorist groups to fill.`` In the latest blow to Iraq`s US occupiers, 19 American troops were killed there on Sunday. That included 16 who died when a missile brought down a US Army transport helicopter west of Baghdad, a crash in which 21 other Americans were wounded.
Bureau Report