Iraq funding bill balloons before Senate panel

[ECH1969]

WASHINGTON - A bill to fund the war in Iraq has ballooned by more than ten billion dollars after the Senate Appropriations Committee added funding for everything from fighting bird flu to repairing oyster beds.

The measure contains nearly 68 billion dollars for the Pentagon's mission in Iraq, plus some 27 billion dollars in additional hurricane relief along the Gulf Coast.

Overall, the bill would cost about 107 billion.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/14269395.htm

[merwin]

1. Um, what do bird flu and Katrina have to do with Iraq?

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

2. Perhaps they want to build

floodgates in Iraq? You know those terrorist birds have got to stay some where!