Senate unanimously increases funding for vehicle armor
Bill would boost vehicle armor funding by $445 million.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment to the $441.6 billion fiscal 2006 defense authorization bill to increase funding for Army and Marine Corps vehicle armor by $445 million to meet needs outlined by military leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The amendment, introduced late Wednesday by Senate Armed Services Chairman John Warner, R-Va., quickly drew several top Democratic co-sponsors, including Armed Services ranking member Carl Levin, D-Mich.
"We don't often get 100 votes and it was not put up here in mind we would get 100 votes," Warner said.
But before Democrats voted to approve the amendment, they cautioned that the Defense Department had failed to quickly define field requirements and spur industry to rapidly produce armor for Humvees and other tactical vehicles.
"Too many have died because of needless delays," Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., said during the floor debate. Warner defended the Pentagon, stating that it was dealing as best it could with a "constantly evolving requirement."
Under the amendment, $340 million would go to the Marine Corps, and $105 million to the Army.
The vehicle armor language was among the first of scores of amendments expected on the defense authorization bill, which was approved by the Armed Services Committee more than two months ago.
Democrats said Wednesday they have prepared several amendments, including language that would dramatically improve healthcare coverage for National Guard members and reservists. A similar amendment failed this spring in the House. Levin said he also plans to support an amendment that would further reform the Pentagon's procurement system, a topic the Senate Armed Services Committee addressed at length during closed-door markups in May. Levin hopes to improve the language in the committee report by adding an amendment limiting profits for defense contractors.
In addition, Democrats want to strip $63 million from the $8 billion earmarked for missile defense to pay for cooperative threat reduction programs, and also cancel funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator program. Similar attempts also failed in the House. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., also said she would introduce an amendment to fully fund healthcare for veterans. "It's time we take our vets out of this ping-pong match," she said.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he supports Warner's desire to wrap up debate and vote on the bill by the August recess, leaving only a little more than a week for floor action on a bill that typically draws hundreds of amendments. Reid also criticized Senate Republican leaders for what he considered to be a delay in bringing the bill to the floor.
"It is too bad [we are] waiting this late to take it up," he told reporters this morning.