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Rumsfeld, Ridge lobby Congress for war, anti-terror moneyByrd raises objections to flexibility request
By Sean Loughlin
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other administration figures visited Capitol Hill Thursday to urge lawmakers to quickly pass a $74.7 billion spending bill for the war in Iraq and the global fight against terrorism. "There is no question but that $74.7 billion is a great deal of money, but the cost of not investing would be far greater," Rumsfeld told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "We need the funds. We need the flexibility as to how they are spent, so we can adapt to the unknowable circumstances that are unfolding in the weeks and months ahead." Several senators indicated the administration would get the money it seeks, if not more. Many Democrats say the administration has not provided enough money for homeland security, and other lawmakers, including House Speaker Dennis Hastert, want to include funds for the ailing airline industry in the supplemental request. The top Democrat on the committee, Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, took issue with the administration's request for flexibility on how to spend the money. "We can't afford to give this administration or any other administration a blank check," he told Rumsfeld, who was joined at the hearing by Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We didn't give you a blank check when you were secretary of defense in the 1970s and I don't expect to support giving the blank check to any administration. The people have a right to know how the money is spent and to believe that they are being spent prudently." Coming to Rumsfeld's defense, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, challenged Byrd's description of the administration's request. "I don't believe you've asked for a blank check; you've been specific," Shelby said. "You've asked for flexibility and you've asked for resources, I think we need to give you all the resources that you need to prosecute and win this war. We should not even blink, we should give you the flexibility that you need to finance this to conduct it." As he has before, Rumsfeld insisted it was not possible to say now much the war would cost, nor how long it would last. But he left the door open for the administration to return to Congress to seek more money for the war effort. The supplemental request includes $62.6 billion for the Department of Defense. Of that, Rumsfeld said, $30.6 billion has been spent or is already committed.(Breakdown of request) Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge also appeared before the Senate panel to lobby for the $4.25 billion included in the supplemental for homeland security efforts. Some lawmakers, Democrats and Republicans, said existing funds to state and local governments is not being delivered fast enough. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, described his state as "desperate for money."
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