Budget Request: $50 billion needed in new war funding

http://www.freep.com/news/nw/iraq14_20040514.htm

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Congress wants stricter control; Levin says it won't be a blank check

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration needs at least another $50 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, a top Defense Department official said Thursday.

But Republican and Democratic senators insisted that Congress exercise much stricter oversight over any new money given for Iraq than it has in the past because lawmakers are angry at reports that the administration used defense funds in ways that Congress never approved.

On Wednesday, President George W. Bush formally requested an initial $25 billion for next year's military activities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Administration officials had earlier said they would seek no money until next year because of questions about allied contributions and the stability of Iraq.

On Thursday, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the administration will ask for even more after New Year's, and "it will surely be much larger than $25 billion."

He did not give an exact number.
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forced Senator Warner the Chairman of the committee to back down after he tried to stop Kennedy from asking questions about the prison abuse. Warner trying to do damage control wanted to limit the questioning to the 25 billion dollar request. But Kennedy said I've been in the senate for 42 years and on this committe for 24 years and I have never been limited to what question I can ask people who come before this committee. Wolfowitz of course was trying to make defenisve points in his opening statement about prison abuse, but didn't want to answer questions about what he said.

questions about torture. They finally squeezed a little bit out of him, tho.

Just heard on CNN.

WTF!! it was a measly 25 billion just a couple of days ago...Maybe we should give em the 50, that way it wont wind up being 100.
this is just bizarre

Un-effing-believable!