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 News from Around the Americas | October 2007 
Bush Set to Unveil Rest of Emergency Funding Request
 David Rogers - Wall Street Journal
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| | The Mexico antidrug initiative is expected to receive about $500 million. |
Washington - President Bush is slated to unveil the final pieces today of a $196 billion-plus emergency funding request for the war in Iraq and larger battle against terrorism, including new assistance to help Mexico battle drug trafficking along the U.S. border.
The administration has already submitted requests near $150.5 billion, most of it for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the new fiscal year that began Oct. 1. The latest package, to be announced by Mr. Bush this afternoon, is expected to add almost $46 billion to the total, including $42.3 billion for defense and $3.6 billion for the State Department and foreign aid.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates testified to the Pentagon's share weeks ago, but the White House has held back submitting the final papers until today. Part of the delay was owed to internal debates over the foreign-aid portion but part was also politics since House Republican leaders urged the White House to hold back while they were fighting Democrats' efforts to override Mr. Bush's veto of a child health insurance bill costing far less: $35 billion over five years.
The Mexico antidrug initiative is expected to receive about $500 million. Other Central American nations will also have a part, but Mexico is the primary recipient. The total appears to be a compromise after earlier discussions of as much as $800 million to $1.3 billion that had been resisted by the White House budget office. But it is nonetheless viewed as an important down payment by the U.S.
Given the historical sensitivities in Mexico about accepting U.S. aid, proponents couch the proposed funding as more of a "partnership" with the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Since taking office in December last year, Mr. Calderon has won praise for cracking down on violent drug-trafficking areas, and the new money is intended to provide training and equipment, including computer software and new technologies, to assist these efforts and improve surveillance.
Write to David Rogers at david.rogers@wsj.com |
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