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Ross forgoes 'pay-as-you-go' for veterans funding Saturday, Jun 21, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott, lost his bid to make new veterans spending compliant with a House pay-as-you-go rule that he consistently advocates. Ross voted with nearly every other House member on Thursday for the $63 billion "new GI Bill," which expands education benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. House pay-as-you-go rules were waived to pay for the benefits. The rules require most new spending to be offset by tax increases or budget cuts and are championed by Ross and others in the "Blue Dog" coalition of fiscally conservatives Democrats. Ross said there was no way he could oppose a bill that provided money for veterans as well as disaster aid and extension of unemployment benefits. The spending bill contains $162 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ross said he didn't object to adding to the budget deficit for the emergency war funding or disaster relief, but wanted the veterans benefits to be offset by a surtax on incomes of wealthy Americans. The "Blue Dogs" successfully got the surtax on one version of funding bill that passed the House. The tax was stripped out of the measure by the Senate. "Although Senate Republicans chose to act in a fiscally irresponsible manner and borrow the money from China to pay for this legislation, I simply could not deny our troops, veterans, the unemployed and those who have fallen victim to natural disasters the assistance they deserve," Ross said. House leaders and the White House earlier this week agreed on components of the spending bill in order to move it forward before Congress' Fourth of July recess. Previously, President Bush had said he would veto a war spending bill that had The Senate will take up the House bill early next week. It is unclear whether Arkansas will collect any of the $2.6 billion allocated in the legislation for Midwest flood victims. Neither House or Senate versions of the spending measure designates money for Arkansas specifically. The state was battered by floods and severe weather in the spring. "It does appear that the (Army) Corps of Engineers did receive some funds and my hope is that they'll be able to use some of those funds for infrastructure repairs and flood prevention here at home," said Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. A spokeswoman for Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., assured Lincoln that the state would receive some storm recovery money. Byrd, head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, pledged at least $39 million to federal agencies for flood relief work in Arkansas, she said. "Chairman Byrd spoke with Sen. Lincoln and assured her this money would be for Arkansas and we believe him," Lincoln spokeswoman Katie Laning said. |
