WASHINGTON — The White House defended its $108 billion request for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on Wednesday, only to be upbraided by senators in both parties for taking a hard line against efforts to add money for domestic programs.
At a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, White House budget director Jim Nussle chided lawmakers for a “sky-is-the-limit mindset” regarding “the desire of some in Congress to load up this troop funding bill with tens of billions in additional spending.”
Democrats and Republicans alike questioned why taxpayers should provide an additional $2.9 billion for Iraq reconstruction efforts while the Iraqi government’s coffers are overflowing with revenue because of record oil prices. At the same time, Democrats attacked Nussle for brushing off funding requests for domestic programs such as firefighting and rebuilding crumbling bridges.
