Wiretapping Bill Heads to Senate After Telecoms Debate

KWAME HOLMAN:

After months of wrangling over emergency war funding and domestic surveillance bills, the House moved swiftly in the past 48 hours to break stalemates on both measures.

First up:

the spending bill. It came to the floor yesterday after Democratic and Republican leaders worked with the White House to hammer out an agreement just a day earlier.

The bill includes $162 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, with no restrictions on the administration's war policy.

The measure also contains: a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits to millions of workers who have exhausted their state benefits; a new G.I. Bill to help veterans from the Iraq and Afghan wars pay for college; and $2.6 billion to address damage caused by flooding in the Midwest.

The legislation was divided into two amendments, allowing a large number of Democrats — such as California's Barbara Lee, a staunch opponent of the Iraq war — to vote against the troops funding but for the domestic spending.

REP. BARBARA LEE (D), Calif.: I am opposed to giving this president over $160 billion with no strings attached to continue the disastrous war and occupation in Iraq. This is the biggest blank check ever, ever.

The war and occupation in Iraq has put our country and economy in a hole. And when you are in a hole, you've got to stop digging in deeper and climb your way out. You don't dig yourself deeper in.

KWAME HOLMAN:

Others, such as Indiana Republican Mike Pence, were disappointed the domestic spending in the bill was not offset by cuts to other programs.

REP. MIKE PENCE (R), Ind.: When we fund these emergencies, be they at home or abroad, we still need to do so in a fiscally responsible manner. I've said before and will say again that we must ensure that a catastrophe of nature does not become a catastrophe of debt for our children and grandchildren.