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Bush War Bill Includes Money for Afghans
WASHINGTON - Money for public opinion research for the new Ukrainian government, seven provincial Afghan hospitals and Palestinian community centers was included in President Bush (news - web sites)'s $81.9 billion request for war and aid to U.S. allies, according to administration documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The materials, obtained Wednesday, also describe spending to start a law school in Afghanistan (news - web sites), smooth the issuance of Ukraine's driver's licenses and passports and build water treatment facilities in Jordan.
The papers, spotty in detail, describe how $4 billion of Bush's proposal would be spent for a handful of countries, the Palestinians, and trouble spots like Sudan and Indian Ocean countries flooded by the December tsunami.
In some instances, they are reminiscent of materials the administration distributed in 2003 describing how reconstruction money for Iraq (news - web sites) would be spent. At the time, many in Congress contrasted that proposal's planned purchases of items like garbage trucks with tight spending for U.S. domestic programs.
On Wednesday, two top House Republicans said lawmakers might remove some foreign aid proposals from Bush's latest package. Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said lawmakers would scrutinize the request for items that could be dropped until later this year.
Congress is only beginning to consider Bush's 2006 budget, released last week, which proposes cutting scores of domestic programs.
At the very least, the new papers underscore the dramatic reshaping of Bush's foreign aid plans since he first ran for office in 2000 and expressed disdain for nation building. The expenditures described in the new documents read like a blueprint of nation building for a range of allies.
"How we've had to budget our resources in the post-9/11 era is different than how we envisioned it pre-9/11," said White House budget office spokesman Chad Kolton, referring to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The overall war and foreign aid bill Bush sent Congress Monday was dominated by $74.9 billion for the Defense Department, mostly for its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Half of the $4 billion in foreign aid the documents describe would be for Afghanistan. That includes $68 million to build 65 schools and seven technical training centers and provide vocational training, teaching training for women and scholarships abroad.
There is also $25 million for the country's legal sector, including unspecified funding to establish a law school, with money for its planning, teachers and student exchanges. Another $69 million would be for seven provincial hospitals, 210 health clinics and other health projects.
There would be $285 million to train Afghan police, including providing 532 "embedded" advisers, 34 driving practice ranges and literacy training. Salaries of 62,000 police officers would cost $40 million, while another $74 million would be spent to buy gear, including 6,000 vehicles, four helicopters and fingerprinting equipment.
Other Afghanistan expenditures would include $300 million for the country's electrical system; $82 million for water and farm projects; $66 million to develop private businesses; and $85 million for creating legal and electoral systems.
The papers say illegal narcotics production in Afghanistan "threatens to undermine all of the progress that has been made towards restoring stability and democracy."
"We need to expand and accelerate reconstruction and security to ensure democracy there does not fail," the documents say.
The $200 million for economic and military aid for Jordan would include unspecified funds for school construction, job training, night vision equipment and other gear for border guards.
Ukraine, where free elections were held a month ago, would get $60 million that the papers say would be largely aimed at helping pro-western President Viktor Yushchenko solidify his victory so his party can win a parliamentary majority in the scheduled March 2006 elections.
Of that, $3 million would be for strategic aid to the Yushchenko government, including unspecified money for public opinion research, policy formulation and communications strategies.
Another $19 million would be to improve Ukraine's judicial system and improve the government's image at home. That includes unspecified funds for a "transparent and efficient provision of passports and driver's licenses, which will have an immediate impact on the average citizen," the documents said.
The $200 million for Palestinians would include money for promoting trade, boosting agriculture, building schools and community centers, instituting democratic reforms and providing social services.
WASHINGTON - Money for public opinion research for the new Ukrainian government, seven provincial Afghan hospitals and Palestinian community centers was included in President Bush (news - web sites)'s $81.9 billion request for war and aid to U.S. allies, according to administration documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The materials, obtained Wednesday, also describe spending to start a law school in Afghanistan (news - web sites), smooth the issuance of Ukraine's driver's licenses and passports and build water treatment facilities in Jordan.
The papers, spotty in detail, describe how $4 billion of Bush's proposal would be spent for a handful of countries, the Palestinians, and trouble spots like Sudan and Indian Ocean countries flooded by the December tsunami.
In some instances, they are reminiscent of materials the administration distributed in 2003 describing how reconstruction money for Iraq (news - web sites) would be spent. At the time, many in Congress contrasted that proposal's planned purchases of items like garbage trucks with tight spending for U.S. domestic programs.
On Wednesday, two top House Republicans said lawmakers might remove some foreign aid proposals from Bush's latest package. Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said lawmakers would scrutinize the request for items that could be dropped until later this year.
Congress is only beginning to consider Bush's 2006 budget, released last week, which proposes cutting scores of domestic programs.
At the very least, the new papers underscore the dramatic reshaping of Bush's foreign aid plans since he first ran for office in 2000 and expressed disdain for nation building. The expenditures described in the new documents read like a blueprint of nation building for a range of allies.
"How we've had to budget our resources in the post-9/11 era is different than how we envisioned it pre-9/11," said White House budget office spokesman Chad Kolton, referring to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The overall war and foreign aid bill Bush sent Congress Monday was dominated by $74.9 billion for the Defense Department, mostly for its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Half of the $4 billion in foreign aid the documents describe would be for Afghanistan. That includes $68 million to build 65 schools and seven technical training centers and provide vocational training, teaching training for women and scholarships abroad.
There is also $25 million for the country's legal sector, including unspecified funding to establish a law school, with money for its planning, teachers and student exchanges. Another $69 million would be for seven provincial hospitals, 210 health clinics and other health projects.
There would be $285 million to train Afghan police, including providing 532 "embedded" advisers, 34 driving practice ranges and literacy training. Salaries of 62,000 police officers would cost $40 million, while another $74 million would be spent to buy gear, including 6,000 vehicles, four helicopters and fingerprinting equipment.
Other Afghanistan expenditures would include $300 million for the country's electrical system; $82 million for water and farm projects; $66 million to develop private businesses; and $85 million for creating legal and electoral systems.
The papers say illegal narcotics production in Afghanistan "threatens to undermine all of the progress that has been made towards restoring stability and democracy."
"We need to expand and accelerate reconstruction and security to ensure democracy there does not fail," the documents say.
The $200 million for economic and military aid for Jordan would include unspecified funds for school construction, job training, night vision equipment and other gear for border guards.
Ukraine, where free elections were held a month ago, would get $60 million that the papers say would be largely aimed at helping pro-western President Viktor Yushchenko solidify his victory so his party can win a parliamentary majority in the scheduled March 2006 elections.
Of that, $3 million would be for strategic aid to the Yushchenko government, including unspecified money for public opinion research, policy formulation and communications strategies.
Another $19 million would be to improve Ukraine's judicial system and improve the government's image at home. That includes unspecified funds for a "transparent and efficient provision of passports and driver's licenses, which will have an immediate impact on the average citizen," the documents said.
The $200 million for Palestinians would include money for promoting trade, boosting agriculture, building schools and community centers, instituting democratic reforms and providing social services.