U.S. government funding measure extends
war funds, Export-Import Bank
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[September 10, 2014]
By David Lawder
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A proposed stop-gap
U.S. government funding measure would provide additional spending
capacity for military attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and
would extend the U.S. Export-Import Bank's operating authority through
mid-2015, the House Appropriations Committee said on Tuesday.
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The proposed legislation, aimed at avoiding a government shutdown
when the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30, will buy Congress several
more weeks to sort out a longer-term spending bill after the
November election.
The measure continues the overall funding levels for discretionary
government programs, services and agencies under an annual cap of
$1.012 trillion through Dec. 11.
It would keep the overseas contingency funding for war and
anti-terrorism operations at the fiscal 2014 level of $85 billion.
That level is far more than the Obama administration's fiscal 2015
budget request for $58 billion in these funds, based on plans to
wind down operations in Afghanistan.
Keeping the level unchanged would leave additional funding capacity
available for U.S. military operations against Islamic State, a
House Appropriations Committee aide said.
President Barack Obama told leaders of Congress on Tuesday that he
did not need them to authorize his strategy to fight Islamic State,
ahead of a speech to Americans that may herald expanded operations
against the group in Iraq and perhaps Syria.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2014/Sep/10/images/ads/current/pestcontrol_bch_termites.png) Obama's White House speech at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday (0100 GMT on
Thursday) will be his most significant effort to outline a strategy
against a group whose savage methods have included the beheading of
two American captives.
The House stop-gap funding measure, slated for a vote later this
week, also would extend the U.S. Export-Import Bank's charter
through June 30, 2015, and extend a moratorium on Internet taxes
through Dec. 11.
The measure also includes provisions to make $88 million available
to fight the Ebola epidemic in Africa, including $58 million to
speed production of antiviral drugs and vaccines, and $30 million
for additional staff and supplies at the Centers for Disease
Control.
It also includes a provision allowing funding flexibility for border
security and customs agencies to maintain staffing levels, border
patrols, detention space, and immigration enforcement activities.
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The measure extends to Dec. 11 the Internet Tax Freedom Act, which
bars state and local governments from taxing Internet access and was
due to expire on Nov. 1.
A surge in funding for State Department programs aimed at regional
aggression toward Ukraine and other former Soviet Union countries
would be continued under the bill.
In a statement, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold
Rogers said the spending bill "is a temporary, imperfect measure
that does not reflect the changing needs of the nation or new budget
priorities."
"In order to adequately address the country’s real and urgent
budgetary requirements, it is imperative that Congress fulfill its
Constitutional duty and enact actual, line-by-line Appropriations
legislation for the next fiscal year," Rogers added.
Congress is expected to work on such a so-called "omnibus" spending
measure during the post-election "lame duck" session in November.
(Reporting By David Lawder; Editing by Ken Wills)
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