Defense Bill That Includes Hate-crime Increase Passes Senate
The $679.8 billion bill, passed by an 87-7 vote late yesterday, allots $130 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
Stripped from the bill on July 21 was $1.75 billion that would have continued production of Lockheed Martin Corp.s F-22 fighter jets over the objections of Gates and President Barack Obama. The administration threatened to veto the bill if the funding was kept in it.
The bill left largely intact other major budget recommendations by Gates, including termination of Lockheeds VH-71 presidential helicopter program that has been plagued by cost overruns.
The Senate also agreed to Gates proposed reorganization of the Chicago-based Boeing Co. Future Combat Systems Army program into at least four separate projects. The program of manned and unmanned vehicles joined by a wireless network has been the Pentagons second-most costly program.
An amendment to the bill that the Senate approved on July 17 would expand protections under the federal hate-crime law to those attacked because of their sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.
The provision also would give the Department of Justice expanded authority to investigate crimes under the law when local authorities dont act. And it would throw out rules requiring victims to have been involved in certain activities, such as attending school or serving as a juror, for the law to apply.
Wyoming Murder
The proposal is named after Matthew Shepard, a college student murdered in Wyoming in 1998 who witnesses said was targeted by his two attackers because he was gay.
The House approved similar legislation in April, and the Obama administration has voiced support for the changes. The Civil Rights Act of 1968 protects those attacked because of their race, color, religion or national origin.
The overall bill authorizes defense spending slightly below the $680.4 billion the administration requested. It must be reconciled with a similar measure passed by the House June 25. Congress hasnt yet acted on the bills that appropriate money for authorized expenditures.
F-22 Dispute
In comments after the vote, Obama said he was “grateful” for the Senates action. “At a time when were fighting two wars and facing a serious deficit, this would have been an inexcusable waste of money,” he said.
The Houses version of the defense bill would continue production of the F22s.
The House measure also would authorize $439 million for General Electric Co. to build a back-up engine for Lockheeds F- 35 Joint Strike Fighter. Gates opposes the spending, and the Senate bill doesnt include the proposal.
The Senates legislation does include the administrations request of $6.8 billion for procurement of 30 aircraft to accelerate production of the F-35 program.
In a key addition for the stepped-up U.S. operation in Afghanistan, the Senate approved $6.7 billion — $1.2 billion more than the administrations request — for all-terrain models of the fortified trucks used in Iraq to counter improvised roadside bombs. Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corp. won the Pentagon contract to build the vehicles on June 30.
The Senate bill includes the Pentagons $7.8 billion request for missile defense and endorses Gatess plan to deploy 30 instead of 44 interceptor missiles made by Chantilly, Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp.
Overriding Gatess opposition, the Senate added $560 million to the bill to buy nine additional Boeing F/A-18E/F fighters.