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Congress approves $87-b. Bush package for Iraq

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Ottawa OCT. 18. The United States Congress has overwhelmingly approved the President's supplemental funding request for Iraq giving George W. Bush nearly all of the $87 billions he had asked for. Members of the Grand Old Party are hoping that the Senate provision of making half of the $20.3 billions in reconstruction money as loans instead of grants will be off the final version of the Bill before it gets to the White House for signature.

A Conference Committee of the House and the Senate will have to sit and thrash this issue out early next week. On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the supplemental by a vote of 303 to 125; and the Senate approved it by a margin of 87 to 12. The legislative chambers have given all of the $66 billions asked for operations primarily in Iraq but also for Afghanistan. But the House and Senate also sought to trim by $2 billions in the $20.3 billions reconstructions tab for retooling of the Iraqi oil industry, for the court system and other government-related expenses.

The supplemental request also has money for the rebuilding of Afghanistan; funds for Pakistan, Jordan and other American allies; besides moneys for the capture of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

The passage of the bills may seem easy going by the numbers, but critics on Capitol Hill of the administration's policies in Iraq and supporters of the President insisted on having their say during the debate. "I believe in this President. I believe in this military", argued Senator Ted Stevens, Republican from Alaska. "Those voting against this bill will be voting against supporting our men and women in the field", he remarked. A staunch opponent of the administration over the Iraq war and a fierce critic of the White House, the Democratic Senator from West Virginia, Robert Byrd, made the point that opposing the bill did not amount to opposing the men and women on the ground in Iraq; rather, the opposition was on account of the administration going to war and the rationale dished out for it. "Fie on that doctrine of pre-emption. That's a dangerous doctrine. Those who vote against this bill are voting against that doctrine", Mr. Byrd remarked.

The conservatives in the GOP may be confident of a bill reaching the White House to the likes of the President; and the travelling Bush team in Asia has reminded lawmakers of the seriousness of the issue.

Republicans are of the view that when it comes to the "final" vote after the conference stage, Democrats will be hard pressed to vote "no". Still, there is the question whether Mr. Bush will veto the bill if it reaches his desk in its present form.

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