The House National Security Appropriations Subcommittee met behind closed doors Wednesday to mark up the fiscal 1999 Defense spending bill. The panel is expected to finish today, and members said Subcommittee Chairman C.W. (Bill) Young, R-Fla., had asked them not to discuss the bill in the meantime.
Still, Young lamented that defense operations are not going to get as much money as he had hoped this year, LEGI-SLATE News Service reported.
"I'm having to squeeze a lot," Young said, but added that his panel "will take care of the priority items" with the bill.
While Young would not discuss specifics, he said budget caps prevent the panel from providing funds to maintain basic necessities like flashlights and electric cables.
Young said he has developed a "$9 billion shortfall list" full of such everyday items.
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