Congress Slashes Bush Request for Spending on Foreign Bases

The Senate, after deliberating less than an hour Friday, approved an $8.5-billion military construction bill that makes wholesale cuts in President Bush’s request for foreign bases but adds millions of dollars for domestic installations.

By voice vote, the Senate adopted legislation that eliminates money for construction in the Philippines and Honduras but sweetens the military construction pot in the home states of ranking members of the appropriations committees.

The legislation, approved by the House late Thursday, now goes to President Bush.

Overall, the bill includes $4.8 billion for military construction, $3.2 billion for military family housing and $500 million to begin closing 86 U.S. bases and scaling back five others.

It cuts military construction spending in fiscal 1990 by $461 million from what was spent in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, and it is $65 million less than what Bush wanted to spend this year.

Targeted for elimination was $40.8 million that Bush proposed for dormitories, storage facilities and other construction in the Philippines, $15 million for airfield improvements in Honduras and $14.4 million for improvements at U.S. bases in Panama.

Lawmakers slashed the amounts Bush requested for work in Britain, South Korea and Italy also.

“Funding for overseas military bases will continue to be a low priority until our allies substantially improve their contribution to the common defense . . . .” said Sen. Jim Sasser (D-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on military construction.

National Guard, reserves and military facilities, especially those in Tennessee, North Carolina, California, Iowa, Mississippi and West Virginia, received significant increases.

The Bush Administration requested $87.3 million for an air station, armories and other construction in Tennessee, Sasser’s home state. Lawmakers approved $109.2 million.

In North Carolina, home of Rep. W. G. (Bill) Hefner, the Democratic chairman of the House subcommittee on military construction, the bill earmarks $133.8 million for Ft. Bragg, Camp Lejeune and other installations. Bush had proposed $108 million.