Senators expect quick passage of war funding

WASHINGTON – New England’s lawmakers expressed confidence Tuesday that Congress would quickly pass a $74.7 billion war-funding bill requested by President Bush.

The president formally unveiled his budget for the war at the Pentagon Tuesday, and Bush also asked Congress swiftly to approve billions to pay its initial war costs and to refrain from adding “unrelated, unwise and unnecessary” amendments to fund pet projects. “One thing is for certain, business as usual on Capitol Hill can’t go on during this time of war,” said Bush, who asked Congress to pass the spending measure by April 11.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said that the need for war funding meant the president would have to give up his plan to cut taxes again.

“There is no doubt that all of us in Congress will want to provide that support to our troops as quickly as possible,” Kennedy said in a floor statement. “As we watched events unfold on our television screens in recent days, it became clearer than ever that more needs will arise because of the war, both in the short term and the long term. We deserve a budget that does not squander the treasury in time of war. We need a budget that provides for our troops and meets our priorities at home.”

Maine’s Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, key moderates who could sway the coming budget debates, both said they expected speedy passage of the president’s funding request.

“I was one of three Republicans to support an amendment by Sen. Russ Feingold [D-Wis.] to the budget resolution that sets aside $100 billion to pay for the war with Iraq,” Collins said. “Originally, the budget didn’t include any funding for the war, so establishing this reserve fund was essential to drawing a realistic blueprint for the expenditures our nation will have to make in the near future. I am hopeful that after some debate, Congress will act swiftly to approve the president’s funding request so that our well-trained troops have the tools they need to prevail.”

According to the White House, $63 billion will be used for military operations, based on a Pentagon estimate of a 30-day conflict; $2.5 billion will be used for reconstruction activities and aid to the Iraqi people; $5.5 billion will be spent on foreign aid for countries helping with Operation Iraqi Freedom; and approximately $4 billion for homeland security, including $2 billion directly to state and local governments.

“Because we do not know the duration of the war or its impact, this funding request is only an estimate,” Snowe said. “However, we must move forward and approve this funding so it can be used in a timely and efficient manner to support our troops. Waiting to provide funding until fiscal year 2004 begins in October is not the answer.”

Snowe also said she was pleased that the president recognizes the increasing needs of state and local governments to prepare for terrorist attacks. Last month the senator met with a variety of first responders throughout Maine who said they need additional funding for equipment and training.