Fights expected over funds for war, IMF

McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Congress is expected to approve later this week spending $106 billion to help pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and control the spread of flu — but not before debating a ban on releasing of terrorism detainee-abuse photos, aiding the International Monetary Fund and plotting an exit from Afghanistan.

The legislation, ironed out last week by congressional negotiators after a last-minute push from President Barack Obama, provides $79.9 billion to fight the two wars through Sept. 30 and an additional $10.4 billion to the State Department and other agencies for “stabilization” efforts in the region. It also contains $7.7 billion for flu control efforts.

Such bills usually pass quickly and nearly unanimously, but this one has been held up over a series of issues that continue to sizzle.

“We’ll pass this,” said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the chairman of the House defense-spending subcommittee, “but it’s going to be a very close vote.”

The House of Representatives is expected to begin debate Tuesday, followed quickly by the Senate, and the thorniest issue could be the detainee abuse photos.

The Senate voted unanimously last month to prevent the photos from becoming public, a position Obama supported. Many House Democrats balked at the idea and signaled they would vote against the bill if the ban stayed in.

It was dropped last week, but only after Obama himself got involved, talking to members of Congress.

Though he opposed a legislative ban, Obama said he could, “assure you that I will continue to take every legal and administrative remedy available to me to ensure the DoD (Defense Department) detainee photographs are not released.”

Republicans privately maintained Obama was trying to have it both ways — pleasing some Democrats by not insisting on legislatively imposing a ban, but also keeping others from getting angry because he supported a ban.

Many Republicans are seething that the bill includes billions in funding for the IMF, which helps fulfill a pledge Obama made to foreign leaders in April.

“We’re putting a global bailout on the backs of our soldiers,” said Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the House GOP Conference chairman. “It’s wrong.”

Some object to the lack of an exit strategy in Afghanistan. House leaders were pushing hard for votes and said privately Friday they were confident they could convince enough members to go along this time because the agreement requires Obama to report back to Congress, by early next year.