Senate Appropriations OKs war supplemental
By J. Taylor Rushing / The Hill
Posted: 05/14/09 04:11 PM [ET]
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/senate-appropriations-oks-war-supplemental-2009-05-14.html
A $91.3 billion supplemental funding measure was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday, but a contentious fight still looms over the future of the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Republicans on the committee heeded chairman Daniel Inouye’s (D-Hawaii) request to keep the supplemental mark-up free of any controversial amendments, but made it clear that they will offer their amendments when the measure goes to the Senate floor.
Topping the list of those amendments will be a move to block $80 million to close the prison in Cuba and transfer the detainees being held there. As approved Thursday, the supplemental includes $50 million to close the facility — but only contingent on a plan from the Department of Defense on how the money will be spent and how the prisoners will be relocated. The other $30 million, which has no such restrictions, would fund the Justice Department’s review of the interrogation techniques used on the detainees by the Bush administration.
Inouye said he agreed with House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) that the Obama administration does not deserve the funding without a plan.
“We have fenced it,” Inouye said. “We have no plan, and I’d like to know what the money is being spent on.”
Echoing a common criticism of Senate Republicans this week, committee member Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said restricting the money is not enough and that it is irresponsible to close the prison until the Obama administration develops a plan for the prisoners.
“It is misguided to close a facility housing terrorists when there is no plan,” Shelby said. “The prisoners housed at Guantanamo are terrorists. They attacked our nation and killed our citizens and pose a threat to our national security.”
Shelby also raised concerns that the $30 million Justice Department probe would be conducted under Attorney General Eric Holder, who as deputy attorney general supervised the handling of suspected terrorists during the Clinton administration.
“I have serious concerns that Mr. Holder could be leading investigations and prosecutions against U.S. officials who carried out the very same actions he approved,” Shelby said.
Other Republicans also indicated unease with the supplemental’s inclusion of money to close Guantanamo, even with the restriction.
“I’m against closing Guantanamo without a plan, and I don’t think we’ve fixed it yet,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas).
The supplemental includes about $85 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30, with the addition of an extra 21,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. It also includes $1.5 billion requested by the Obama administration to improve preparation and response to the swine flu epidemic, and a $5 billion proposal to increase the borrowing authority of the International Monetary Fund.
The supplemental does not include about $3 billion in funds sought by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kit Bond (R-Mo.) for the purchase of C-17 and C-130 aircraft for the U.S. military. Inouye, however, expressed optimism that the funds could be added once the bill reaches the full Senate.
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