WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Senate is close to approving $109 billion in extra funds for wars and disaster relief.
The Senate invoked cloture Tuesday on a nearly $109 billion fiscal 2006 emergency supplemental for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and hurricane relief, CongressDaily reported.
The vote was 92-4, with a few lonely protest votes over what some conservatives see as excessive spending. The measure is headed for final passage by Wednesday and will go to conference with a House version that would cost about $17 billion less, the report said.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a joint statement Tuesday characterizing the Senate bill as a "special interest shopping cart."
President George W. Bush has threatened to veto any bill above his revised $94.5 billion request -- which includes additional funds for avian flu preparedness. That veto threat is backed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and 34 other GOP senators, CongressDaily said.
Republican leaders have narrowed the list of amendments to fewer than 10, including some from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. He offered an amendment eliminating a provision requiring the Navy to reimburse Northrop Grumman Corp. for "business disruption" costs incurred at their Mississippi and Louisiana shipyards. Critics label the move a "corporate welfare bailout" that could cost up to $500 million. However, estimates of government liability are as low as $150 million, the report said,
After the cloture vote, the Senate adopted an amendment by voice vote adding $2.2 billon to rebuild and strengthen New Orleans levees and other flood projects in California, Hawaii, Texas and Pennsylvania.
The Senate amendment is not offset, but the funds would be subject to White House approval before being spent, the report said.
