Fight looms over price tag of supplemental funding bill

The Senate gave final approval Thursday to a $108.9 billion fiscal 2006 emergency supplemental spending bill on a 78-20 vote, named its negotiators and sent the measure to what is likely to be a difficult conference with the House.

The measure funds operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at about $65.7 billion, and the Pentagon is pressing Congress to complete action before departing for the Memorial Day recess at the end of the month.

It also includes $28.9 billion for rebuilding needs in the Gulf Coast and disaster relief in other areas; $4.5 billion in foreign aid to Iraq, Iran, Sudan and other nations; $2.6 billion for security along the U.S.-Mexico border and port security; $2.6 billion to prepare for a possible pandemic flu outbreak and compensate those injured by experimental drugs; $3.9 billion in aid to farmers and ranchers hit by drought, frost, floods and other disasters; and $35.6 million for mine safety.

Swift agreement with the House will prove difficult, as President Bush has threatened to veto the measure if it reaches his desk with a price tag more than $94.5 billion, which includes $2.3 billion for pandemic flu countermeasures not part of his initial request. House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, Thursday said the House would not accept any bill conferees bring back if it exceeds that amount.

"The House will not take up an emergency supplemental spending bill for [Hurricane] Katrina or the war in Iraq that spends one dollar more than what the president asked for. Period." Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., whose initial draft totaled $96.7 billion, acknowledged there will be "tremendous pressure" in conference to reduce the cost.

Bush and the House argue the emergency bill is tailored to provide funds for the war effort, Gulf Coast hurricane relief, and more recently they have acknowledged the need to address the potential flu pandemic. Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., argued that since the bill is likely the only one of its kind to move this year, it should adequately address all emergency spending needs, as there are no rules governing the content of supplemental measures.

Byrd dared Bush to veto the measure. "If the president wants to veto a bill that funds the troops, if he wants to veto a bill that funds victims of Hurricane Katrina, if he wants to veto a bill that provides critical resources for combating a potential avian flu, if he wants to veto a bill that secures our borders and our ports and helps our farmers to recover from disaster and makes our coal miners safer, have at it," Byrd said on the floor.

Before final passage, there was a skirmish over an amendment by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., to add $20 million for veterans' medical care to the $430 million already in the bill. Thune would offset the increase by eliminating funds for AmeriCorps to support Katrina relief volunteers, calling the agency "mismanaged" and noting it has already received almost $900 million this fiscal year.

Cochran led the opposition, arguing the AmeriCorps volunteers in his state of Mississippi have helped to clothe, feed and house more than 1 million people. Thune's amendment was defeated, 59-39.

Susan Davis contributed to this report.