Louisiana senator urges immediate military spending hike

In response to reports last week that President Bush may hold off on promised increases in military spending pending a review, Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is urging Bush to push for more spending immediately.

Landrieu, in a letter Wednesday, urged Bush to consider a supplemental appropriation measure of up to $10 billion for the armed services to cover short-term expenses such as rising fuel costs and readiness requirements.

Landrieu said she supports Bush's plan to delay new procurement decisions until the review is complete, but voiced concern about keeping spending on operations and maintenance at the current level in the coming fiscal year.