Friday, July 23, 2010

Senate returns $60B stripped out war bill to House - Boston.com

Senate returns $60B stripped out war bill to House - Boston.com

Senate returns $60B stripped out war bill to House

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates prepares to speak to the media on July 22, 2010 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Secretary Gates participated in meetings with the Minister of Defense and Indonesian President Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates prepares to speak to the media on July 22, 2010 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Secretary Gates participated in meetings with the Minister of Defense and Indonesian President Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (AP Photo/Mark Wilson, pool)
By Andrew Taylor
Associated Press Writer / July 22, 2010
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WASHINGTON—In a take-it-or-leave-it gesture, the Senate voted Thursday night to reject more than $20 billion in domestic spending the House had tacked on to its $60 billion bill to fund President Barack Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan.
Instead, the Senate returned to the House a measure limited chiefly to war funding, foreign aid, medical care for Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and replenishing almost empty disaster aid accounts.
The moves repel a long-shot bid by House Democrats earlier this month to resurrect their faltering jobs agenda with $10 billion in grants to school districts to avoid teacher layoffs, $5 billion for Pell Grants to low-income college students, $1 billion for a summer jobs program and $700 million to improve security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The House bill fell prey to a 46-51 tally that fell short of a simple majority, much less the 60 votes required to defeat a filibuster. The Senate is instead insisting on its almost $60 billion version of the measure, passed on a bipartisan vote in May.