Senate panel passes $30.8 billion homeland security bill

[The Straight Story]

Senate panel passes $30.8 billion homeland security bill

By Greta Wodele, CongressDaily
The Senate Appropriations Committee easily approved $30.8 billion in discretionary funding Thursday for the Homeland Security Department and its programs next year.

The bill would provide $389 million less than the Bush administration requested, primarily because it does not include language proposed by President Bush to raise airline ticket fees -- a move that would have given the Transportation Security Administration's budget a $1.6 billion boost. The panel approved the measure, 28-0.

Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., accused Bush of putting the panel in a "difficult position" by proposing a $3 airline ticket fee hike in his budget. He said authorizers -- not appropriators -- must approve such a mandate. Byrd argued that it forced the panel to cut funding for grants to firefighters and police officers, rail security and federal aviation screeners.

"That was a non-starter," echoed Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. He added that Senate Commerce Chairman Stevens, who oversees policy mandates for the Transportation Security Administration, is adamantly against the idea. The House appropriations and authorization committees also oppose the fee hike.

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0605/061705cdam2.htm

[MichiganVote]

1. Biggest piece of pork the government has ever put forth

Whose on First?

[Double T]

2. Just Keep Making That Deficit Bigger And Bigger You Stupid Idiots....

Where is the intelligent life still left on this planet?????? There certainly isn't any intelligent life within the Beltway!!!!!!!

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Welcome to "permanent wartime" and its permanent budget

and subsequent loss of freedom in the interest of stopping terra-iss.

Ah, the new cold war. Breathe it in.