By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
16 minutes ago
President Bush would get $92 billion more for Iraq and Gulf Coast hurricane relief under a bill rushing toward overwhelming House approval despite lawmakers' concerns about the war and the recovery effort.
Less than eight months before voters decide control of Congress, lawmakers were eager to vote to back troops in the field and help hurricane reconstruction, even at a time of massive budget shortfalls. Passage was expected Thursday.
"Concerns about the deficit and spending are overridden by the urgent issues before us — supporting our troops and helping the hurricane victims," said Rep. Joe Wilson (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C.
The bulk of the bill, $67.6 billion, would pay for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once approved, the money would boost to nearly $400 billion the total spent on the conflicts and operations against terrorism since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060316/ap_on_go_co/congress_iraq_katrina- - -
Wasn't this the bill they were going to amend with the Dubai ports language? Is that still in play?