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The United States Senate today passed legislation to provide $124 billion of emergency spending for the war, drought disaster relief, and Hurricane Katrina recovery. Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson voted in favor of the legislation which will now be sent to the President for his approval.
The emergency supplemental conference report includes:
$95.5 billion for continuing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; $3.3 billion ($2.1 billion above what the Administration requested) for the Defense Health Program to improve health care for active duty service members; $2.2 billion over what the Administration requested for needed military equipment, including funding for Army National Guard Equipment shortfalls. Nebraska's National Guard alone has estimated that it faces an equipment shortfall of over $80 million; Nearly $2 billion for veterans' health care programs. The Administration requested no funding for these programs; Increases in pay and housing allowances for military personnel; Nearly $7 billion for continuing relief for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and More than $2 billion for homeland security needs.
Critically, the legislation also includes $3.5 billion for agriculture disaster assistance. This aid will help agriculture producers in Nebraska who in 2006 alone suffered losses of $342 million.
Nebraska's Senator Ben Nelson issued the following statement on the conference report:
"This legislation will provide resources to meet emergency needs at home and abroad. We're facing critical funding shortfalls in veterans' health care, disaster assistance, and relief from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in addition to the needs of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. We do not have the luxury of waiting to act - we have to address this now.
"The conference report also includes measures I have been advocating for years - conditions for staying in Iraq. These benchmarks appropriately put pressure on Iraqi leaders to focus on a number of issues that must be resolved to bring stability to that nation. And it requires regular reports to Congress on their progress from General Petraeus. That information can be used by Congress to make future decisions about U.S. military operations in Iraq.
"We were also successful in retaining the Senate language calling for soft dates for redeployment rather than the hard deadlines imposed by the House bill. I do not support arbitrary dates for withdrawal, but this legislation represents a compromise that establishes that the American and Iraqi governments must undertake a political, economic and diplomatic strategy to provide stability in Iraq. General Petraeus said that we will not win militarily and Secretary Gates has stated that debates over these issues in Congress are sending a strong message to the Iraqi government that they have to make progress. We need a comprehensive strategy for success in Iraq and this legislation lays the groundwork for that to happen."
Tonight, Senator Nelson will lead a bipartisan delegation on a fact-finding mission in Iraq. There he will meet with military leaders, Iraqi officials and Nebraska soldiers. As of April 2007, 814 Nebraska National Guard members, 51 Reserves, and 394 Active Duty personnel were serving in Iraq.
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