Posted on 02/14/2005 10:16:27 AM PST by CitizenHelper
WASHINGTON - President Bush was poised to officially ask Congress Monday for an estimated $82 billion to cover the costs of continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a myriad of other internationally related expenses, including training Iraqi security forces and aiding victims of the tsunami.
The White House was to send the supplemental budget request to Capitol Hill late Monday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters.
Included in the request is $74.9 billion for the Defense Department, including $5 billion for transforming Army divisions and brigades and $5.7 billion for training and equipping Iraqi military and police, according to a federal official familiar with the supplemental.
The remaining money in the supplemental request includes $950 million to help areas affected by the recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean; $350 million to aid the Palestinians; $400 million to reward nations that have taken political and economic risks to join U.S.-led coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan; money to help build a U.S. embassy in Baghdad; reconstruction funds for Afghanistan; and money for the Darfur region of western Sudan where a 2-year-old civil conflict has left tens of thousands off people killed and more than 2 million displaced.
In a written statement on this issue earlier, President Bush had said the special appropriation would support U.S. troops and help the United States "stand with the Iraqi people and against the terrorists trying desperately to block democracy and the advance of human rights."
The Army wants to use the $5 billion to convert 33 brigades and regiments — about 30 of which are organized into 10 divisions — into a force of 43 to 48 brigades that would operate more independently.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
Tack on another $5-$10B and give it to military personnel and their families.
unreal, it will never stop.
Looks like the gubmint has hid in the "additional" budget items that used to be "budgeted" in general fund expenditures, under the cover of Iraq and Afghanistan - they having thesense of emergency.
Nifty accounting trick to hide (not too well) budget deficits.
Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just to bring every Afghani here and put them on welfare?.........
Another four years of out-of-control spending. Makes one feel proud to be an American!
There used to be a term used in politics called "fiscal conservative" ....
Money well spent.
when?
:)
Another four years of out-of-control spending. Makes one feel proud to be an American!
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And don't forget OUT-OF-CONTROL TAXATION...We have to go more in debt, yet we cannot stop spending TENS OF BILLIONS PER YEAR ON ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!!
The perspective of Washington is getting very sour.
I don't think the Afghans are getting all that much of this. I think their International Welfare Check is about $4 bill.
Also, I understood that much of the Iraqi International Welfare money remains unspent.
But what's a few billion among friends?
How ironic that the President can see that there is enough real waste that can be cut, while still funding important things and making tax cuts permanent and even adding new tax cuts, while many of the folks here would rather jump on him instead of the real wasters in the Congress...
Exactly my point, hoards of "cash" literally are being passed out in Iraq, why not pass out a few more greenbacks to our military personnel and their families?
See "Herbert Hoover."
I JUST don't get why we aren't getting Iraqi oil at a huge discount.
Screw the "War for Oil" crowd. We lost lives giving those folks freedom, I think a discount on oil is a fair thing to return the favor.
"Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just to bring every Afghani here and put them on welfare?........."
This is what I told my doctor. When my surgery is over, rather than keeping me in the hopspital for two weeks, please put me up in a suite at the Waldorf, give me round the clock nurses and a limo for you to come by and check on me every day. Purchase everything that will need to be in the room and when we are finished with it we will donate it to a clinic in Africa.
In addition, write me all the prescriptions I will need as well as bring my meals in from LeCirc.
I guarantee it is cheaper than staying in a hospital.
LOL, that is too funny!
Ummmmmm........part of the cost of 'continuing military operations' IS for the military personnel.
We're at WAR for our safety and freedom. No money could be better spent, IMO.
Patience - we're just running along beside them with training wheels on the bike; let's see what kind of deals are struck after the next elections. I find it refreshing that they have already started bucking the U.N. and want the pilfered Oil for Food Scandal money returned. I too feel they should show some formal form of gratitude, but success in setting up a democracy will be enough if it comes to it.
I agree. It goes without saying if there is negligence, money being lost, get that sort of thing stopped. But as something the United States is investing in, Afghanistan and Iraq's self-rule, their ability to provide their own security, it will pay dividends bigtime.
Not to fear, the Congress is not going to stunt the Administration's policies in the Middle East going forward. The changes being brought about are real, thanks to the free people of Iraq and Afghanistan (and hopefully soon in Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia).
I feel my bank account losing more by the minute.
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