Senator urges passage of Defense spending bill before recess

Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said Monday he had received assurances that Senate leaders would try to pass the $453.5 billion fiscal 2007 Defense spending bill this week.

"I think if we get it up in time, we can finish it this week," Stevens told reporters.

He said it was crucial to pass the bill before the August recess to have time to send a conference report to the president's desk before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and the scheduled adjournment for the fall campaign's homestretch.

"Both leaderships said they're committed to helping us get it done by the end of the week so we can conference it during the August [recess]. It takes a long time to conference a bill like that," Stevens said, adding that if the Senate cannot complete action on the bill this week it would not be finished before the elections.

GOP leaders have pledged to finish the bill in time for the elections, but they have been wrangling with Democrats over floor time and amendments to the bill. Also, action on pensions and the estate tax/minimum wage/tax extenders "trifecta" bill threatens to crowd out time to consider the Defense bill this week.

The bill carries $50 billion in emergency funds for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, although bipartisan efforts are expected to increase that figure by as much as $10 billion.

Stevens, however, noted that he had yet to sit down with the Pentagon and the Office of Management and Budget to discuss exactly how much will be needed to cover mounting equipment repair and replacement costs.

"I do know that they need some new money but I also know we've been doing some reprogramming and it's not as acute as people think it is," he said.