House Passes $47-Billion Spending Bill

The House on Thursday ignored President Bush’s denunciation of “pork barrel” military projects as it overwhelmingly approved two spending bills authorizing nearly $47 billion for Operation Desert Storm and other emergency military and domestic needs.

And in a thinly veiled ultimatum to U.S. allies who have not delivered on $38.7 billion in pledges to defray the costs of the war, the House said they should pay up by April 15 or invite unspecified “appropriate action” by Congress.

Advocates of the provision, adopted by voice vote, said it would encourage Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia and other nations to fulfill their war funding commitments by the same day that most Americans pay their federal income taxes.

One of the measures authorized $42.6 billion for the Desert Storm offensive, and the other allocated more than $4 billion for other “dire emergencies,” including $650 million in aid for Israel.

Both bills were sent to the Senate, where early approval is expected.

Despite the Pentagon’s strong opposition, the smaller emergency bill includes nearly $1 billion in funds to buy more F-14 fighters, $200 million to keep the Osprey tilt-rotor plane alive and a directive to overhaul the aircraft carrier Kennedy at the Philadelphia naval shipyard.

In addition, the legislation allocates $80 million not requested by the Bush Administration for maintenance of military depots scattered among many House districts.

“These provisions are extraneous, have not been requested and should not be included in dire emergency legislation,” said the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Acting a day after Bush received a thunderous congressional reception for America’s success in the Gulf War, the House essentially gave the President the funding he wanted for the high-tech missiles and similar weapons that proved so effective against Iraqi forces.

But House members failed to heed Bush’s pointed admonition to keep the national interest in mind and shun defense outlays that may benefit one congressional district but not the country as a whole.

The requirement to renovate the Kennedy in Philadelphia, for example, was regarded as a triumph for House Democratic Whip William H. Gray III (D-Pa.), who represents a district in the city.

The F-14 funds were championed by Rep. Robert J. Mrazek (D-N.Y.), whose Long Island district includes Grumman Aircraft Co., the manufacturer of the Navy plane that had been marked for termination by the Pentagon.

The outcome illustrated the continuing difficulties that Bush may have with Congress despite his record popularity in the wake of the smashing victory over Iraq.