Senate Republicans voted on Wednesday to trim US President George W. Bush's financing request for the Iraq war by US$1.9 billion and to use that money to improve border security.
The vote, 59-39, on an amendment to an emergency spending measure, was cast on a day of difficult choices for Republicans, who passed up opportunities to strip the bill of provisions unrelated to its primary purpose of paying for hurricane relief and military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The action was unusual because Republicans have been adamant that the war is the highest priority and have been quick to attack Democrats who show signs of wavering on the issue. Three Republicans voted against the shift in money, seven Democrats voted for it and two Democrats did not vote.
But with Bush promising to veto the US$106.5 billion spending measure unless it is pared to less than US$95 billion, senators who wanted to improve border security, a cause that grassroots conservatives have declared a main election year goal, felt that they had to do so without letting the underlying bill grow bigger.
"This bill is about national defense, especially relative to terrorism," said Senator Judd Gregg, a Republican who is the amendment's lead sponsor. "And yes, fighting the war in Iraq is critical to this war on terrorism. Fighting the war in Afghanistan is critical to this war on terrorism. But I have to think equally important is making sure that our borders are secure."
The amendment would provide money to the Border Patrol and Coast Guard for new airplanes, helicopters, patrol boats and communications equipment. Democrats criticized the proposal as "a false, cheap choice to secure political points," in the words of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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