House Rejects Cuts in Military Sought by the Democrats
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WASHINGTON — The House rejected an effort by Democrats to trim $3 billion from the $243 billion that the government would spend next year on the military under a bill nearing its final stages in Congress.
On a 290-134 vote, the House rebuffed a move by Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) to cut money for projects he labeled as “pork” because the Pentagon had not specifically requested them.
“This money is here because there has been a political agreement . . . to fund projects the Pentagon doesn’t think are necessary,” Obey said. He said the B-2 bomber spending, for example, would not exist if subcontractors in the project hadn’t been spread around among so many states.
“The cost of one of those airplanes would pay for the tuition for every student at the University of Wisconsin for the next 12 years,” Obey said.
Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s national security subcommittee, said the bill is aimed at addressing 11 years of spending less and less on defense.
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