War bill may be done by Memorial recess

WASHINGTON, May 20 (UPI) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says an emergency war spending bill before Congress should be finished before Congress's Memorial Day recess.

During a floor session Tuesday, Reid said getting the bill completed quickly would "be extremely difficult for us," The Hill reported. He said chances of securing the necessary 60 votes needed for passage of the $194 billion measure was cloudy.

"In the past, war funding has been (approved) because of a lot of arm-twisting and cajoling," Reid said. "I don't know if the votes are here this time."

The bill contains $165 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and more than $25 billion in domestic programs, including extending unemployment benefits by 13 weeks and expanding educational benefits for military personnel under the GI bill. It also calls for troops to be redeployed from Iraq by June 2009.

Democrats said June 15 was a deadline for getting the bill done, the Washington publication said. The Pentagon warned it may have to furlough employees if more money is not approved by then.