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Senate Passes Pentagon Spending, Jobless Bill

Now they can go back to bickering over health care

By the Associated Press

Posted Dec 19, 2009 8:08 AM CST
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(AP) – The Senate, meeting in the midst of a snow storm, this morning passed a critical budget bill that combines money for the Pentagon with additional help for the jobless. The 88-10 vote means the bill, passed by the House earlier this week, will go to President Obama, and the Senate can return to the acrimonious debate on health care. Democrats hope to pass that bill before Christmas.

The $626 billion defense bill contains $128 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a 3.4% pay raise for the military. It also includes two-month extensions of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. There were health care subsidies for people out of work, along with money for highways and transit systems.

In this Nov. 4, 2009 file photo, Sonja Jackson, of Detroit, holds a Employment Guide standing in line while attending a job fair in Livonia, Mich.
In this Nov. 4, 2009 file photo, Sonja Jackson, of Detroit, holds a Employment Guide standing in line while attending a job fair in Livonia, Mich.   (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
FILE - In this photo taken Oct. 2, 2009, Janessa Rivera fills out a form for unemployment benefits during her second visit to the California Employment Development Department office in Sacramento, Calif. In a reversal of earlier gains, more states lost jobs than added them in November, signaling that hiring...
FILE - In this photo taken Oct. 2, 2009, Janessa Rivera fills out a form for unemployment benefits during her second visit to the California Employment Development Department office in Sacramento, Calif....   (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, file)
The National Christmas is seen covered in snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009.
The National Christmas is seen covered in snow on Capitol Hill in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
JonmarkP
Dec 20, 2009 4:31 AM CST
Surely, this bloated military fatback is deficit-neutral.
fancygapva
Dec 20, 2009 1:11 AM CST
@reader the military is getting a huge chunk of $ and they aren't doing a damned thing for our "freedom" we've lost more freedom since 2001 than at any time in history. The military is barking up the wrong tree and it's a money tree that goes to Halliburton and Xe (Blackwater) STILL. Schools aren't educating children to be able to think, doctors and drug companies aren't curing people, they are just ameiliorating symptoms. People are "living with cancer" now at great expense and the effort to cure has been dropped. The unemployed are becoming a warehoused underclass while jobs go overseas. Wake up, you're getting screwed.
Derni
Dec 19, 2009 9:47 AM CST
Yes the military will now benefit-the senate republicans used it to put off the discussion on health care-we need two new paries with term limits-too many political kingdoms in place

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Pentagon • Senate • unemployment benefits

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