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The House will vote Friday on a bill that would cut off funds for some -- not all -- U.S. military operations in Libya. The funding bill, offered by two-term Rep. Tom Rooney, R- Fla., has large exceptions: it would not stop funding for search and rescue, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, operational planning, or aerial refueling operations.
Spokesman Michael Mahaffey said Friday that Rooney did not have an estimate of the amount of money that his bill would save, but “it does significantly cut back on what the administration is doing.”
But Republican presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, told the House in debate Friday that Rooney’s bill would have little effect. “This says ‘deny funding’ but there are too many exceptions, and the exceptions are to allow the very things that the president is doing.” Paul said House members who oppose President Barack Obama’s Libya mission should defeat the Rooney bill, as well as defeating a one-year use of force authorization.
According to Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., senior Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, who argues that Obama needs to get congressional authorization for the Libya mission, said, “The administration estimates that the cost of these operations will exceed $1 billion by September.”
Here’s where that Libya spending fits in the larger defense budget.
Total Defense Department spending authority for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, is $671 billion. If U.S. operations over Libya end up costing $1 billion this fiscal year, that would be about one-tenth of one percent of total spending.
The defense spending bill for fiscal year 2012 which the House Appropriations Committee approved two weeks ago would decrease total spending by $22 billion from the current level, about a 3 percent cut.
It would reduce spending on operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places under the heading of the “Global War on Terror” by $39 billion, but increase other spending by $17 billion. For instance the bill would spend $15 billion on ten new ships for the Navy which now has 285 ships, the smallest Navy that the United States has had since 1916, according to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead.
This year discretionary military spending -- not including retirement benefits -- will amount to 19 percent of total federal outlays. At the end of Bill Clinton’s presidency, discretionary military spending accounted for 16 percent of total spending. To bring spending back to the Clinton-era level, Congress would need to cut about $120 billion out of FY 2012 military spending -- more than five times as much as the House bill would cut.
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Mr. Curry,
When I read this "Here's where that Libya spending fits in the larger defense budget." I realized that you were going to reduce the discussion of the military aggression against Libya from that of a moral, legal, and economic question to one solely of economics.
Is the destruction of property and killing of foreigners who pose no threat to our fellow countrypersons acceptable to you so long as the financial costs are relatively insignificant for the first several weeks?
Please tell us that you are not of the opinion that our nation's laws should be ignored and moral considerations do not apply if the government's militarism is considered "affordable" relative to other ongoing military spending.
Charles
exactly, its not about the money, its about the total lack of respect for the laws and the will of the Congress and therefore the American People. Obama got caught in violation of the war powers act, and won't even own up to his own actions. It doesn't suddenly become "okay" because the amount we are spending is small compared to other operations. He needs to come get permission if he feels we have a good reason to be there.
If you are a kid and you steal a few dollars from your parent's wallet, get caught and claim you didn't do anything wrong, then do it again a couple days later, is it okay because you stole only a small amount of money? People have stolen small fortunes from businesses a little bit at a time.
The way to end the ME wars is simple. Spray the entire area with pig grease and drop leaflets with nude women pictures. According to the quran, they have to leave any area soiled with pig and the men have to kill themselves if they see nude women not their wives.
Ya, I know it is too simple because most of them are hypocrites.
The Republican neocons put on "dove" wings, then quickly change back to "hawk" wings.
This isn't about legality of military action. This is yet another attempt by the GOP/TP to attack the president, and to try to vindicate themselves. Just like going after Anthony Weiner for a sex scandal, Republicans take the blue ribbon for both--having the most scandals, and the illegal invasion of Iraq and the many lies (and cost in lives and treasure) that went with it.
Gaddafi and the Lockerbie bombing are second only to bin Laden and 9-11 as a terrorist act. The Brits let one of the terrorists return home (supposedly due to poor health, but probably in a trade for oil) and with promises there would be no hero's welcome. Gaddafi gave the terrorist a hero's welcome. I don't understand why conservatives don't want to take Gaddafi out--he is more of a terrorist than Saddam.
Like John McCain said, and then McConnell:
What morons! Cut spending on war & build more ships!!! How about pulling out of Bush oil war in Iraq, cut troops in Afghanistan, and cut defense budget? We spend over 40% of all the money in the world spent on defense, 6x what China spends! It's a travesty.
Its also a major part of the reason that in the last century we have only had two foreign attacks on our soil, all that through two world wars and more. If you always take the fight to them its harder for them to bring the fight to you.
amerrealist
"What morons! Cut spending on war & build more ships!!! How about pulling out of Bush oil war in Iraq, cut troops in Afghanistan, and cut defense budget? We spend over 40% of all the money in the world spent on defense, 6x what China spends! It's a travesty."
You are obviously not much of a history buff. Japan attacked us at least 3 times: Peral Harbor, Sub attack on Oregon coast, incendiary balloons. Islam extremeists on 9/11. Panch Villa 1916, and at least 50 years of invasion by those south of the border. Get a clue.
The problem with the wrong is that they seem to ignore history and feel confortable being wrong.
the US military is largest user of energy in the world. cut the military by 50%. now that would be a real savings
Washington just can't get it together. Our government is falling apart at the seams. Considering the fact there is no leadership running this country it's no wonder. From my vantage point, it appears like a zoo with no fences... all the animals running around attacking each other and we, the American people get to witness the carnage.
I'm wondering when someone will step up to the plate and take charge. Obama has his agenda, the House has theirs and the Senate is clueless. They spend money with wreckless disregard to the debt and deficit. Nobody there is taking charge over the treasury... which is non-existant.
Will anyone in Washington actually help the people or is that an impossible dream?
Brianb - it seems to me that the President is treating the Congress as adults.
The Congress has leaders - why aren't those leaders doing their jobs?
The President is in FIRM control of the Executive Branch of our Government.
The Majority Leader of the House and the Majority Leader of the Senate SHOULD have control of their minions under them. We can argue the fact that may be that is not the case in the House (my opinion).
The Chief Justice has FIRM control of the Judiciary, even though we are seeing an right-wing activist bent with the rulings that have been coming down from that court (the Wal-Mart ruling being the latest).
I am not sure what you are asking for Brianb. Your vote - and mine - help populate the Legislative and Executive Branches of our government.
Does this mean that WE - the American People - have FAILED OURSELVES because we CONTINUE to vote in the Congress that does what it wants to?
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership.
Americans deserve better."
SENATOR BARACK H. OBAMA - MARCH 2006
Alwaysfaithful; But instead,we have him...the campaigner-in-chief......he's right....we DO deserve better......by the way,which way is the wind blowing today???......Hey congress...don't feel good about my statement..you guys of BOTH parties haven't done squat to help matters,either...........anyone else notice that any article about the military only has 2-15 comments?????...I guess Lindsay Lohan,or the weiner guy is more interesting.................U.S.Army Disabled Veteran
Hmmmm, I see there are still people here who think that bush is still potus or CinC.
Sorry folks, as CinC, obama had the power and the means to end any US involved mideast military actions when he uttered the words "I do solemly swear..." on that fateful day in jan 2009.
We know where obama's priorities are.....
he might talk a good game about how the republicans pile everything on the backs of the poor but his actions...spending billions on libya tells me he just don't care. OBAMA LIED AND PEOPLE DIED - cowboy up
Uhhhhh,,,The "war" may cost 1 billion by November and we have NO troops inside Libya, Who died??
All the innocent civilians that Obama doesn't care about.
Why are we even frickin' there?
See the forest before the trees... Afghanistan is far more costly than Libya. If you want to get you undies in a bundle it should be about the decade plus in Afghanistan, and even Iraq. You only obsess about Libya now, because...?
because al qaeda is not in libya...i think i read that somewhere...
@ Hiap
"exactly, its not about the money, its about the total lack of respect for the laws and the will of the Congress and therefore the American People. Obama got caught in violation of the war powers act"
Obama has not violated the war powers act,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YET He still has a 30 day grace period and the House voted to extend funding, But even at that, This is such a piddlin' issue over pennies when Republicans are holding the USA hostage for $860 billion in Bush taxcuts it is unreal.
Bo, according to AG Holder, the Office of Legal Counsel, and the Counsel for the Defense Department and Obama himself in an answer during the 2008 campaign he is in violation. Hopefully this will eventually end up in federal court and settle the subject once and for all. I think he is in violation since there was no attack or imminent attack on the United States. If there is an imminent attack or actual attack he may use military force for up to 60 days without congressional approval. If he fails to go to congress for authorization he then has 30 days to remove military forces from involvement in military action. The money for Libya is currently coming out of the defense budget and congress has not authorized any funding for the action against Libya.
As for the Bush tax cuts that you on the left keep crying about, if I remember they are now Obama's tax cuts since be approved the extension of them. He could have vetoed the tax cuts but didn't, so now he owns them. Kind of like if you have a car and I buy it, it is no longer your car, it is my car.
tax cuts - YEAH!
BO made a huge blunder yesterday when addressing the members of the 10th Mountain Division. He brought up the name of Jared Monti, a soldier from that unit. BO said Monti was the first person BO gave the Medal of Honor to "who actually came back and did not receive it posthumously."
WRONG! Jared Monti was killed in action and every soldier present for that speech knew it! You could see the soldiers blinking their eyes in disbelief. What an id iot.
See if for yourself on youtube. Just enter the words: Obama horrible mistake medal of honor
Hahaha.... Republic texas is dreaming... texas the ten best economy in the world ??? Hahahhaha ! Yeah I guess you pay your deficit with the money president Obama is giving you!
Your state is a landfield trash !
why not an illegal war, acorn-o does everything else illegally
is there anyone more incompetent than acorn-o? yes, the bozos that still have obama/biden bumper stickers on their cars
there's no liberal hypocrisy here....no really, I am absolutely sure these same liberal media drones and their wing nut liberal loud mouths would be playing down the est. $1B cost of a 3rd war if Bush was in charge...................sure they would still put out articles like this.........hahahahahahahahah LOL
shame shame shame disgusting liberal lunatics
The House didn't go far enough on this... We need to cut back a little on funding foreign affairs! We get involved way too much in other affairs, and we get nothing in return.
That is not a bill that someone should be passing now … to take permission or not … to fund or not … the bill that should be passed right now collectively with all nations is “NO MORE WARS FOR MONEY”. That’s the bill they should pass right now. This bill should imply that the warring nations … this is the nations that are bombing the country should not in any way get involved in any kind of direct or indirect financial transactions with the victim country. That’s what we should fight for now … that’s the bill they should pass now.
After seeing what they have done in Ruka … what is stopping us from bringing about such a resolution?
Common sense!?