Senate Subcommittee Approves FY08 Defense Budget

A U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee yesterday approved a $459.6 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2008, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Aug. 16).

Funding set by the panel’s Defense Subcommittee is $3.5 billion less than sought by the Bush administration.  The bill must be passed by the full committee and Senate and then merged to the House version of the legislation.  That is not expected to occur before the beginning of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1.

The U.S. missile defense program would receive $8.5 billion under the Senate spending plan, a reduction of $310 million from the White House request.

The subcommittee added $62 million to the administration’s request for chemical weapons disposal efforts, bringing the total to roughly $1.5 billion, AP reported.

An amendment added by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) requires a review of handling of U.S. nuclear weapons.  This follows an August incident in which six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles were accidentally loaded on to a B-52 bomber that flew them from North Dakota to Louisiana (see GSN, Sept. 7; Charles Babington, Associated Press/San Luis Obispo Tribune, Sept. 11).

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