That $87 Billion Vote

First, the Senate added 10,000 Army troops by reallocating $409 million from the Pentagon's Iraqi Freedom. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld opposed this, arguing that the Army was already too large.

Second, the Senate required that the Adminstration give Congress a 90 day notice before the Pentagon could change command responsibilities or force assignments.

Third, the Senate added $1.3 billion in health care benefits for U.S. veterans -- and expanded health care to National Guardsmen and reservists.

The Senate and the House stripped the bills of many spending items that were raising eyebrows at home, such as two $200 million maximum-security prisons; a $150 million down payment to build a maternity hospital in Basra; a $200 million American-Iraqi Enterprise Fund to promote business development; funds to establish Zip codes and to update Iraq's telephone numbering system; money to restore marshes drained by Hussein's government; and a budget to build seven new communities from scratch.

The President's response? A formal statement opposing the Senate's new health benefits for National Guard personnel and reservists.

And, according to the Washington Times, a threat to veto the bill "if any of the nearly $20 billion aid portion is earmarked for loans rather than reconstruction grants."

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) reversed himself (flip-flopped) on the grant versus loans issue. "In the face of the president's very, very strong position, it seemed to me something Congress should yield on," he told the Washington Post.

Why did Sen. Kerry vote "no" on the final Senate version on 17 October? Maybe his vote reflected his constinuency -- after all, the CNN poll suggested most Americans opposed the $87 billion, as did a poll conducted by Republican Bill McInturff and Democrat Stan Greenberg which showed that 55 percent of likely voters opposed the expenditure, with only 42 percent in support.

Or maybe he simply disagreed with the President, which was what he suggested later in the month, according to the Washington Post: "'This president has done it wrong every step of the way,' Kerry said, adding that Bush has 'broken every promise' in his handling of the war." Kerry was also on the record criticizing Bush for failing to develop a long-term plan and failing to convince allies to join the war effort.

Or maybe it was, as Republicans suggest, a move to appease Democrats who would name the party's Presidential candidate.

The Senator remains mum on his votes, as does the President on his threat to veto the bill and oppose health benefits for reservists and guardsmen.

Regardless, as of mid-September, the Administration has spent only $1.2 billion of the $18 billion appropriated last year for "emergency" funds to be used for reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sources: Washington Post, Washington Times, Cox News Service, Roll Call -- all via Lexis-Nexis; factcheck.org