Senate last hurdle for appropriations bill

[unhappycamper]

The C-17 is a popular jobs program in at least a dozen states, so the House voted to spend $1.2 billion to buy three more planes and the Senate voted to spend $2.5 billion for 10 more.


Senate last hurdle for appropriations bill
By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Dec 16, 2009 17:38:09 EST

The House and Senate appropriators agreed to a $636.3 billion defense budget for 2010 on Tuesday, defying the Obama administration by buying more C-17s, an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter and by refusing to kill the presidential helicopter.

The House passed the bill on Wednesday; the Senate may take awhile longer.

The sharpest jab at Defense Secretary Robert Gates and President Barack Obama came in the form of a $2.5 billion add-on for buying 10 more C-17 cargo planes.

Gates wanted to end the program, contending that the Air Force has plenty of C-17s and other airlift planes.

But the C-17 is a popular jobs program in at least a dozen states, so the House voted to spend $1.2 billion to buy three more planes and the Senate voted to spend $2.5 billion for 10 more. The lawmakers decided to compromise by accepting the Senate’s plan.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/def_appropriations_conference_121609/