Senate weighs cutting C-17, V-22 procurement money from emergency spending bill

Published: Apr 26, 2006
Source: aimpoints.hq.af.mil



Hundreds of millions of dollars for buying new weapons could be slashed from an emergency spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The threats came as the Senate began debate Tuesday on massive $106.5 billion emergency spending package to cover the costs of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as hurricane relief efforts along the Gulf Coast.

The President had requested $92.2 billion, but Senate appropriators added nearly $14 billion to the bill earlier this month. The House last month backed a smaller $91.9 billion spending package.

Senate appropriators added hundreds of millions of dollars for new weapons spending, including money for Marine Corps and Air Force aircraft and for Army tanks and other ground vehicles. They argued that the money was needed for equipment either worn out or destroyed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) told reporters that he would lead efforts to scale back the emergency spending. “Whether it will be $92 billion. I don’t know. What we don’t need to be doing is funding unnecessary projects,” Frist said. “It will be less than $107 (billion).”continue..