WASHINGTON - A House committee handed a victory to President Bush on Thursday by approving nearly $87 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan and fending off lawmakers who wanted Iraq to eventually repay some of the aid.
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The Republican-led House Appropriations Committee approved the legislation by 47-14, paving the way to likely approval by the full House next Wednesday or Thursday. All 14 "no" votes were from Democrats, but 15 Democratic members voted for the measure.

The Senate plans votes next week on its own, similar package.

A week of White House lobbying paid off as Republican advocates of using loans rather than grants ended up not even forcing votes on their proposals because of certain defeat.

In recent days, many committee members heard personal pitches from Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Bush himself that loans would slow the rebirth of Iraq's economy and sow suspicion that the United States wanted to control the country's oil.

The bill has about $65.3 billion for U.S. military expenses in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and $21.6 billion to rebuild those two nations and aid other countries including Liberia. Most of the money from both categories is for Iraq.


They approved an amendment by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., to require more detailed reporting on how the money will be spent.
Also adopted was an amendment by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., requiring the administration to show Congress details of no-bid contracts before they are awarded.

By voice vote, members included a provision by committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., that in effect prohibits Rice from administering the funds.

The presidential adviser did not need Senate confirmation for her job, and lawmakers said they want the money controlled by an official they could compel to testify to Congress, such as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

"This is about accountability," Young said after the meeting.

In its other chief departure from Bush's proposal, the bill provides $18.6 billion to rebuild Iraq, nearly $1.7 billion less than the president wanted.

It includes money for upgrading health clinics, restoring water supplies, encouraging private businesses, supporting women's rights and creating a modern banking system.

"Let's help Iraqis reconstruct Iraq and protect our troops," said Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.


Some say the wisest course is to support robust reconstruction efforts as the best way to extricate U.S. troops. But others have focused on the spending package as a proxy for challenging Bush's overall policy in Iraq.

"We have been led into a pre-emptive war that has left us isolated from our allies ... and holding the bag financially, militarily and politically for the reconstruction of Iraq," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the panel's top Democrat.

 Obey was among those who voted against the measure, saying, "I don't have enough answers to have confidence that the policy behind this package is the correct one."

Lawmakers also voted:

_To add more than $100 million for work at military facilities in Virginia, Maryland and elsewhere that they said were damaged by last month's Hurricane Isabel.

_To reject an amendment by Obey that would have shifted $4.6 billion from Iraqi reconstruction to the Pentagon, transformed some spending into loans, and paid for the entire $87 billion by canceling tax cuts for the richest 1 percent of Americans.

this country is screwed...
Why do these people give a shit about Iraq?
No wmd, no terrorist connections, no relation to alqueda or 911?

Power outages across america, schools in ruins, , poverty, inflation.........

Yeah, Saddam was only killing his OWN people.

So what, right?

and just how did this Saddam arrive into power?

are you that fucking stupid?
are you trying to tell the people that we invaded Iraq because Saddam killed 3-4 thousand Kurds?
We've spent BILLIONS of dollars on Iraq that could have been used to
SAVE about 5-10 times the lives of poor , homeless, diabled or elderly people in the United States.
But of course you can never admit defeat.

Admit it you love Iraq and hate the people of the United States.
Rebuild Iraq and Fuck the USA.
Poor Loser.

AND if the american intelligence and military complex didn't prop Saddam up over all these years we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now. The REAL Saddam supporters were most of the cheap labor conservative politicians(who secretly wish they had that kind of power) that think the world is a huge game of Risk. Except it's the regular folks who risk. Not one risk is taken by the fucking elite's of this country.(you can put in the name of your favorite cheap labor conservative chicken hawk here_____________)

The Senate voted the other day (Nov1?)
The 87 Billion dollar package passed the Senate with a vote of 5-1.
with 94 Senators abstaining and/or not voting.
6 Senators control the entire vote.
94 dont bother to vote......
and they need a pay raise?
For what?
GW signs into law.