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President Bush signed into law Monday a war supplemental spending package that includes nearly $162 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to an increase in veterans' education benefits and a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance.

"This is a responsibility we all share, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, and I want to thank the leaders of the House and Senate for getting this bill to my office," Bush said after signing the measure.

The Senate approved the package late Thursday, a week after the House gave its endorsement.

Approval came after months of partisan wrangling and negotiations between House leaders and the White House.

An agreement was reached about two weeks ago.

The bill's first part includes $161.8 billion for the wars, which will cover the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 and should last until next summer. The second section includes funding initiatives not directly related to the wars.

The boost in veterans' education benefits can be transferred to spouses and children. It is estimated to cost $62.8 billion over 11 years. The White House initially rejected inclusion of the increased benefits in the package because of retention concerns, but changed course under the compromise struck with House leaders, who agreed to allow the benefit to be transferable. "We also owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's military families," Bush said. "So I'm pleased that the bill I sign today includes an expansion of the GI Bill. This legislation will make it easier for our troops to transfer unused education benefits to their spouses and children. It will help us to recruit and reward the best military on the face of the Earth. It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support our troops every day -- America's great military families."

The package's extension of unemployment benefits is expected to cost $8.2 billion over 11 years. The legislation would retain a requirement that beneficiaries must work at least 20 weeks to be eligible for benefits. It was kept in at the behest of Republicans. Democrats also dropped a proposal to provide another 13 weeks of unemployment insurance to states with high jobless rates. "This bill includes a measured expansion of unemployment insurance benefits with a reasonable work requirement," Bush said. "And this bill holds overall discretionary spending within the sensible limits that I requested." Bush praised other funding in the bill, including $465 million for the Merida Initiative, a partnership with Mexico and nations in Central America to crack down on violent drug trafficking gangs; and nearly $2.7 billion to help states facing natural disasters.

In addition, the package includes language to block implementation of six of seven White House-proposed regulations for Medicaid that were designed to curb fraud and abuse, and it would ensure that Israel would get $170 million in aid for fiscal 2009 if Congress does not finish work on the appropriations bills by the end of the fiscal year. Under a continuing resolution, Israel would not receive a White House-requested $170 million increase in aid, and the legislation would provide that funding in that event.

COMMENTS

• Folks, please remember; lame ducks have little or nothing to lose. Does anyone think he’s worried about his legacy at this late date? A veto of the war spending bill would not have helped either party; but definitely would not have hurt Shrub. While not the perfect solution I would have desired, I think this compromise is a fairly decent start to the snow ball I PRAY is coming in November. Let’s wait until there is sufficient turn-over in BOTH the executive and legislative branches for a concerted effort to turn around this runaway juggernaut. Please remember it’s taken the Party Pachyderm 7 years to build all this momentum; with only the last year & ½ of with SOME brakes applied. Bulls are hard to wrestle down once they’ve gained momentum; and all cowboys know you don’t want to be on the wrong side of a flailing bull. Tip off Posted July 1, 2008 3:50 PM
• Those same democrats were blowing their horns for the attachments to it for farming subsidies but they sure didn't talk about the war funding last night on the news! Tom Posted July 1, 2008 10:54 AM
• "This is why congress has such a low approval rating!!! Because they give this LAME DUCK what he wants. The Dems were put in there to fix his mistakes in stead they are feeding them." What you don't understand is that the Republicans have become the right wing of the Democratic party. Don't look for help from Washington. Remember NcCaine-Finegold, all it was really about was keeping the two-party systm going...No new ideas, No real change is comming. If you want to see something different, vote for something different. BRAVO Posted July 1, 2008 9:59 AM