House and Senate appropriators are writing similar fiscal 1999 supplemental spending bills to pay for the Kosovo mission. The House Appropriations Committee will mark up a $12.9 billion bill Thursday, while their Senate counterparts already anticipate $11.16 billion in supplemental defense expenses-but have not decided on a final amount for refugee assistance.
Last week, the Clinton administration requested $6.05 billion for Kosovo operations.
The House Appropriations supplemental includes $1.07 billion for military construction projects, primarily in Europe and Southwest Asia-none of which were requested by the administration nor would be funded in the Senate Appropriations bill.
House Appropriations Chairman Bill Young's bill would provide the $566 million Clinton requested for refugee aid and assistance to so-called "front line states" bordering Kosovo. But it exceeds the White House request by $45.5 million for embassy security and contains $5.78 billion over the administration request of $5.46 billion for defense spending.
The additional $5.78 billion-for a total of $11.2 billion-in Young's bill for defense includes $1.8 billion for a military pay raise and unrequested funds for spare parts replacement, readiness training, base operations, depot maintenance and the department's operational rapid response account.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens' projected supplemental, which he plans to mark up next Tuesday or Wednesday, also includes the $1.8 billion pay raise package, along with $9.36 billion for supplemental defense spending. The Stevens' supplemental defense level of $9.36 billion includes $3 billion for depot operations and maintenance, $460 million for munitions and $400 million in accelerated procurement of defense items requested for fiscal 2000.
During today's Senate Appropriations hearing, at which Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew and Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre testified, Stevens repeatedly questioned whether the administration's $6.05 billion request would sufficiently fund the military's readiness needs.
Stevens told Lew and Hamre, "We can't stand another supplemental" to cover further unanticipated Kosovo expenses, such as sending ground troops. "You ought to err on the side of caution" in the administration request, Stevens said, adding: "My feeling is we should overanticipate what they need. If they say they need two [of something], we should give them four."
But Hamre stressed the administration limited itself to requesting money directly "confined to this operation and within the time frame of this supplemental." Hamre added that in terms of readiness, "while we're stretched, I think we're OK. But if we don't get this supplemental, we will be broken." Hamre said the supplemental needs to be passed "by the Memorial Day recess."