Posted on: Thursday, June 24, 2004

Defense spending bill includes $540 million for Hawai'i

Advertiser Staff and News Services

WASHINGTON — The Senate late yesterday approved a $447 billion defense spending bill that covers only part of the Pentagon's upcoming war costs but gives the military a pay raise and increases troop levels.

Lawmakers voted 97-0 on the bill authorizing Pentagon and Energy Department defense programs for the new budget year that begins in October.

The Senate vote follows Tuesday's House vote to approve that body's version of the bill — a $418 billion measure that includes $540 million for defense-related initiatives in Hawai'i.

Among the big-ticket Hawai'i items are $34 million for the Maui Space Surveillance System, $33.8 million for U.S. Army Pacific Command's command systems and $30 million to upgrade the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kaua'i.

The Senate bill includes $25 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Bush administration plans to submit a supplemental budget at the start of the next calendar year that is expected to seek at least an additional $25 billion for the two ongoing military campaigns.

In a move opposed by the White House and Pentagon, senators also included a provision to add 20,000 troops to an Army stretched thin by the war in Iraq, the global war on terror and other commitments around the world. The size of the Army would increase by about 4 percent, to over 500,000.

The authorization bill, generally mirroring one passed a month ago in the House, includes an across-the-board 3.5 percent pay raise for military personnel.

There is also $10.2 billion for a missile defense system and billions more for such programs as the F/A-22 Raptor aircraft, Joint Strike Fighter and DD(X) destroyer program.

In voting earlier yesterday, Senators passed an amendment requiring Bush to report to the Republican-controlled Congress on his efforts to stabilize Iraq. But they rejected one that would have forced him to give an estimate of how many American troops will remain in the country a year from now.

The Republican-controlled chamber also rejected the following amendments, all offered by Democrats:

• A measure that would have declared all U.S. officials bound by anti-torture laws.
• A plan to make healthcare for all veterans mandatory.
• A proposal that National Guard and reservists become eligible for retirement benefits at age 55 instead of 60.
• A proposal to limit the growth of U.S. military and civilian contractors helping Colombia fight its drug war.

The Associated Press and Advertiser Washington correspondent Frank Oliveri contributed to this report.