Congress Passes War Supplemental, Clunkers and All; The Fight over F-22s and C-17s Heats Up
By Kenneth Gold, Ph.D., Director
Last week, the president signed PL 111-32, the Supplemental War Appropriation Act for 2009. The $105.9 billion spending bill contains $79.9 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; $10.4 billion foreign operations, including $2.4 billion for Pakistan, $1.4 billion for economic development in Afghanistan, and $700 million in food assistance; $7.7 billion for dealing with the H1N1 flu pandemic; and $1 billion for the first year of “cash for clunkers,” which would pay car owners up to $4,500 if they trade in a car for a new, more fuel efficient vehicle.