House approves Pentagon budget, aid to automakers

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(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-09-25 16:25

WASHINGTON -- The US House of Representatives passed a $630 billion-plus spending bill Wednesday that wraps together a record Pentagon budget with aid for automakers and natural disaster victims, and increased health care for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

General Ray Odierno during a press briefing in the Pentagon, March 4, 2008. Odierno took command of US-led forces in Iraq on Tuesday, faced with the challenge of ensuring security gains do not unravel at a time when American troop levels are being reduced. [Agencies]

The legislation, which senators are expected to approve and send to President George W. Bush for his signature, is flying under the political radar compared with the White House's contentious plan to bail out Wall Street.

The spending bill, which passed 370-58, is fueled by a need to keep the government running past the October 1 start of the new budget year. Passage also was greased by 2,322 pet projects totaling $6.6 billion.

The measure is dominated by $488 billion for the Pentagon, $40 billion for the Homeland Security Department and $73 billion for veterans' programs and military base construction projects, amounting to about 60 percent of the budget work Congress must pass each year.

Earlier this year, Congress provided $70 billion for US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; more will be needed by mid-2009.

The budget legislation is the result of months of wrangling between Democrats who control Congress and the lame-duck Bush administration and its Republican allies in the legislative branch. The administration won approval of the defense budget while Democrats wrested concessions from the White House on disaster aid, heating subsidies for the poor and smaller spending items.

The administration succeeded in blocking Democrats' efforts to extend unemployment insurance, increase food stamp payments and help states deal with shortfalls in their Medicaid budgets.

Democrats doubled the money for heating subsidies for the poor and successfully pressed the White House for a generous $23 billion aid plan for disaster-ravaged states. The measure would avert a shortfall in Pell college aid grants and address problems in the Women, Infants and Children program, which delivers healthy foods to the poor.

The legislation includes an increase for the census as well as money to cover transition costs for the incoming administration. It provides money for 20 F-22 fighter planes over and above the Pentagon request, and additional dollars for armored vehicles, body armor and combating roadside bombs.

Veterans' health programs are in line for a 10 percent increase; veterans driving to Veterans Affairs' medical clinics would get an increase in mileage reimbursements; Georgia would receive $365 million in economic help to recover from the recent conflict with Russia.

After hard lobbying, automakers won up to $25 billion in low-interest loans to help them develop technologies and retool factories to meet new standards for cleaner, more fuel efficient cars.

The bill would pay, until March, for agencies whose budgets have not passed. This would eliminate the need for a much-dreaded, lame-duck session after the November 4 election to deal with unfinished work.