U.S. Congressman Ike Skelton (D)
Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton is frustrated that the U.S. House of Representatives wasn’t able to get funding passed through Congress before it went on its 4th of July break.
“We authorize in our defense bill $127 billion and that will be followed through by the appropriations committee. But that’s not coming until later in the year. This is a supplemental for funds to carry on the war in Afghanistan right now. I wish we would have been able to do it before we took the break,” Skelton said.
The House could have sent the bill to the President’s desk last week; asking for an extra $33 billion dollars in funding the military has determined it will need to keep running the War in Afghanistan.
Instead, amendments were made that will drag out the Congressional process.
“It went back to the Senate. I think we should have voted on the bill and got it fully sent to the military to complete their beginning under General Petraeus,” Skelton said.
The House tagged on an amendment that adds $21 billion dollars of domestic spending into the supplemental budget bill, and Skelton doesn’t see that sticking.
“Now the Senate has to come back, and what they’ll probably do is skim off the amendment the House put on, and pass it in its original form and send it on,” Skelton said.
The Senate will consider the House version after it reconvenes July 12th.
AUDIO: Ryan Famuliner reports [:55 MP3]
