Lawmakers refuse funds for Europe missile shield
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A military funding bill moving through Congress will not contain money to begin building a controversial U.S. missile defense system in Europe, a senior Democratic lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, who chairs a House of Representatives panel that oversees military spending, told reporters that legislation will move this week without any funds for the project, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has protested.
"We don't even have the basic agreement between Poland and the United States," Murtha said in justifying Congress' refusal to fund the program in the current fiscal year, which extends until next September 30.
Last week, President George W. Bush stressed the need for installing the 10 missile interceptors in Poland and radar in Czech Republic at a total cost of about $3.5 billion.
Bush asked Congress to provide $310 million this year.
The Bush administration has argued that the missile system would protect against attacks from Iran and other countries the United States considers "rogue states."
Bush said U.S. intelligence agencies think Iran might be able to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe and the United States by 2015.
Russia so far has been unconvinced by U.S. assurances that the missile defense system would not pose a security threat. As an alternative, Moscow has offered bases in former Soviet states in the Caucasus.
House and Senate negotiators are expected to give their formal approval on Thursday to the fiscal 2008 defense funding bill. Murtha said changes are not expected.
The full House is slated to vote on the measure on November 7, Murtha said, sending it to the Senate for congressional approval.
But Democrats who control Congress are engaged in a high-stakes game with Bush over a series of spending bills he has threatened to veto. Murtha said the defense bill will be joined with measures funding health, education, labor and veterans programs and the entire package likely will be vetoed.
If so, Murtha said, the defense spending bill, without the missile defense funds, would be attached to another must-do bill next month.
