Effort to boost weapons money fails in Senate

[unhappycamper]

Effort to boost weapons money fails in Senate
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 5, 2009 17:07:12 EST

The Senate rejected an attempt to divert $5.2 billion of more than $900 billion in economic recovery money to pay for defense weapons purchases.

By 59-38 vote Wednesday night, the Senate blocked an amendment sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to use money in HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to restore combat readiness and replace war reserves and prepositioned stockpiles.

The vote came on a procedural motion on which Inhofe needed 60 votes for his amendment to be considered. The vote came in a blizzard of action during which the Senate disposed of about 28 of the more than 300 amendments pending on the recovery bill.

Senate leaders said Thursday morning that they hope to complete work on the bill before the weekend but Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is pushing an alternative economic recovery plan that would spend $4 billion on defense-related programs, said it may take until early next week for the Senate to pass its version of the bill. The House passed its version of HR 1 on Jan. 28 and is waiting for the Senate to act so negotiations can begin on a final compromise bill.

Inhofe argued, unsuccessfully, that spending money on military weapons was a good way to stimulate the economy.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/military_inhofe_defensebudget_020509w/#2e

[elleng]

1. Anyone think

President Obama is pissed at mccain?

[Owl]

2. Good.