Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 9, 1993 TAG: 9309090101
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The overall budget reflects the decline in post-Cold War defense dollars but retains some Bush administration weapons in a one-year, stand-pat plan. Both the House and Senate are considering the plan.
In his first defense budget, Clinton proposed spending $263 billion in the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, about $12 billion less than this year. Lacking the time for a complete review, Defense Secretary Les Aspin unveiled the budget in March, describing it as "treading water."
The Senate Armed Services Committee trimmed the overall request by $1.8 billion, while the House panel reduced the amount by $571 million.
In committee action in July, the panels also took a swipe at funds for the Ballistic Missile Defense, formerly known as the Strategic Defense Initiative or Star Wars. Clinton asked for $3.8 billion for the program in fiscal 1994. The Senate panel trimmed the budget to $3.2 billion; the House panel cut it to $3 billion.
The Senate and House debated deeper cuts in the program Wednesday.
The most controversial issue was whether homosexuals can serve in the military.
Confronted with opposition from Congress and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Clinton abandoned his campaign pledge to lift the ban. Instead, in July, he adopted a compromise that ends the questioning of recruits and service members about their sexual orientation but still prohibits homosexual conduct.
The Senate and House panels took the policy one step further, writing into law that military service is unique and homosexuality is wrong.
The major change embodied in Clinton's policy, an end to the questioning, would be continued but the panels said a future defense secretary could reinstate the question.
Among the other provisions of the House and Senate legislation are:
Cancellation of the Navy's planned AX carrier-based bomber and the Air Force's futuristic multi-role fighter. Congress received early word from the Pentagon that Aspin planned to kill the programs.
A pay raise of 2.2 percent for the military, even though Clinton proposed an across-the-board pay freeze.
An end to the statutory ban on women serving on combat ships, a move consistent with Aspin's recent policy change.
Early in Wednesday's debate, senators clashed over a provision in the committee bill that would set up a $20 million-a-year program for the American Metalcasting Consortium, a new group of organizations representing the metalcasting and foundry industry.
The Pentagon opposed the provision because less than 10 percent of America's metalcasting products go for defense and the program would not be subject to bidding.
By voice vote, the Senate adopted a compromise that adds $10 million to the technology reinvestment account for metalcasting and requires the program to be subject to competitive bidding.
by CNB