War funding likely delayed until October

Senate defense appropriators are planning to consider the 2008 emergency supplemental spending bill in October, a delay that could leave the Pentagon without enough money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan until new funds are approved.

{mosads}Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Defense spending panel, said Friday that his committee is not going to consider the 2008 war funding request until October. He and his House counterpart, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), are considering funding the wars in three-month increments, Inouye said.

The Senate’s timing is similar to the House’s. Murtha has also said that he may not consider the war funding before Oct. 1. Without a 2008 war supplemental, the funding for the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan would run out at the beginning of the new fiscal year, which starts next month.

While the House has passed a $460 billion defense base budget for 2008, the Senate has yet to do so. Inouye said that his committee will mark up the defense budget next week. He also said that he would not accept any Iraq language on that bill, saying it should be put in the supplemental. The White House requested $147 billion for the 2008 supplemental and is expected to ask for an additional $50 billion.

If Congress passes a 2008 defense base bill that will not get vetoed, then the Pentagon could borrow operations and maintenance costs from that bill and would have money for the wars until the beginning of March. Without any of the 2008 bills, Congress would have to craft a continuing resolution. It would depend on how the continuing resolution is written for the Pentagon to find money for the wars.