House OKs Funds for Defense; Future of B-2 Program in Doubt

The House on Wednesday passed a $270-billion military spending bill for 1992 that preserves most of the Bush Administration’s top defense priorities but leaves in doubt the future of the embattled B-2 Stealth bomber.

The measure boosts spending on the Strategic Defense Initiative to build an anti-missile defensive system and continues production of the Navy’s most modern strategic nuclear missile. But it halts, for now, production of new radar-evading B-2 bombers.

The legislation also speeds up troop cuts, provides a 4.2% pay raise for all members of the military and offers new financial incentives for mid-career servicemen and women to make an early exit from the armed forces.

The House approved the Department of Defense appropriations bill on a voice vote. The Senate is expected to pass it soon and President Bush’s signature is likely.

Rep. Les AuCoin (D-Ore.), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, spoke against the legislation. He said it contained too much money for strategic offensive weapons that are unnecessary for the nation’s post-Cold War needs.

AuCoin said it was “a form of theft” from taxpayers for Congress to approve spending $1.1 billion to buy 49 Trident II submarine-launch nuclear ballistic missiles and $1.4 billion for one new Seawolf SSN-21 nuclear attack sub.

The two most controversial aspects of the 1992 military spending bill are the provisions for the Strategic Defense Initiative and the B-2 bomber.

The defense bill contains $1.8 billion to keep the B-2 production line open, and it earmarks another $1 billion for possible purchase of one additional B-2. But the conditions on using the $1 billion are so strict as to make it unlikely that any new planes will be purchased.