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Congress Ready to Increase Israel Missile-Defense Funding

(Jerusalem Post) Hilary Leila Krieger - Congress is set to significantly increase funding for Israeli missile defense to more than make up for White House cuts to the program, Capitol Hill sources told the Jerusalem Post Tuesday. The 2013 budget proposal unveiled by President Obama on Monday trims $6 million in defense spending from the Arrow and David's Sling programs as part of across-the-board defense cuts. While the administration's request for missile defense funds has dropped in recent years from $121.7m. in 2011 to $106.1m. in 2012 to 2013's $99.8m., Congress has consistently increased the final allocation. One aide to a Democratic member on the House defense appropriations subcommittee predicted the 2013 figure would be in the neighborhood of the $235.6m. slated for 2012. Another Congressional aide said that if the Israelis ask for more missile defense funding, "without a doubt they would get it." Rep. Kay Granger (R-Tex.), chairwoman of the House foreign operations appropriations subcommittee, said, "The President's budget is a blueprint for what the administration wants out of the Congress. This is not what will be enacted into law."
2012-02-15 00:00:00
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