Senate digs into Iraq $87 billion

After a week of intense questioning, Congress Monday begins to mark up President Bush's $87 billion wartime supplemental spending request - the largest ever sought by a president.

The White House says it's a must-pass request. If the United States loses the peace in Iraq, "we will have provided the terrorists with an incredible advantage in their war against us," presidential envoy Paul Bremer told senators in his first of six appearances before congressional panels last week.

It's an argument likely to prevail on Capitol Hill, but not before lawmakers scour the minutiae of the request, especially the $20.3 billion set aside for Iraq's reconstruction.

With thousands of homes in the D.C. area - including Mr. Bremer's - still blacked out seven days after hurricane Isabel, lawmakers especially focused on the contrast between spending in Iraq and needs at home. The White House proposes $5.7 billion to rebuild Iraq's power grid at a time when many Americans doubt the viability of their own, Democrats say.

This is also time when lawmakers are acutely aware of the half-trillion-dollar budget deficit. They also see domestic programs getting the ax at a time when the White House wants to fund similar projects for Iraq.

Norman Ornstein, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, says: "It's very clear that the $20 billion [for Iraq] includes a wish list plucked out of thin air - and some extremely generous amounts for social programs and building houses."

He continues: "The further you get away from reconstruction of things destroyed during the war and the closer you get to welfare state support, the more vulnerable they become, because it's at precisely the point that the White House wants to cut those areas here in Washington."

One example is homeland security. Democrats note that the Bush administration rejected, as too costly, a $200 million Democratic proposal to increase support for US first responders, even as it proposed $290 million for the Iraqi police force. Similarly, a request for $125 million to hire 1,300 more customs inspectors on US borders was turned down, yet $150 million is proposed by the White House for 5,350 border inspectors in Iraq.

"Many of us on this committee have tried to better protect the American people from future terrorist attack, but time after time the administration has actively opposed efforts to boost homeland security," says Sen. Robert Byrd (D) of West Virginia, ranking member on the Senate appropriations committee. "Eyes have been trained solely on Iraq, while we remain vulnerable here at home."

Another risk for Bush and his GOP allies in Congress is that many of the items for Iraq look bloated. For example, why would new Iraqi prisons cost $50,000 a bed? "They're spending more on prisons [in Iraq] that we do in the US," says Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont.

Iraq administrator Bremer explained to the lawmakers that the cement used in Iraq for construction must be imported, boosting the cost.

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