Senate approves additional $1 billion to overhaul election system [View All]

Senate approves additional $1 billion to overhaul election system

JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Friday, October 24, 2003


(10-24) 11:12 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Intent on avoiding a repeat of the 2000 presidential election debacle, the Senate has added $1 billion to the president's request for funds to carry out improvements in the national voting system.

"In a time when we are committing billions of dollars in federal resources to build democracies around the world, we simply cannot afford to shortchange our own," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., before the Senate voted 63-31 Thursday to waive budget caps and increase funds for election reform in fiscal year 2004 from $500 million to $1.5 billion.

Joining Dodd was Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate's No. 3 Republican, who said he found himself "in an extremely awkward position" in contesting the budget figure proposed by the president and agreed to by the Senate Appropriations Committee. "This, however, is that very rare instance which I believe warrants providing funding above that provided in the budget."

In all, 19 Republicans supported the increased funding, added to a $90 billion spending bill for Transportation and Treasury Department programs in the budget year that began Oct. 1. (snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/24/national1353EDT0589.DTL