WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate Armed Services Committee has recommended an additional $50 billion be set aside to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the U.S.-declared global war on terrorism.
The proposed new war spending for fiscal 2006, which starts Oct. 1, would push the cost of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath toward $250 billion.
Before the invasion, then-White House economic advisor Lawrence Lindsey said a conflict with Iraq could cost $100 billion to $200 billion. He was derided by administration colleagues and lost his job in December 2002.
The recommendation for fresh emergency spending was sent to the full Senate on Thursday night as part of a bill that also would authorize $441.6 billion in regular defense spending in fiscal 2006, a 3.1 percent real increase over the sum authorized by Congress last year.
Three days ago, Congress gave final approval for an $82 billion emergency war-spending bill, of which about $76 billion would go to fighting the war.
Even with such a large emergency funding measure, Pentagon officials have said more money would be needed as early as October.
WOMEN IN COMBAT
The Senate's version of the bill put it on a potential collision course with the House over the role of women in the military.
The House Armed Services Committee next week will consider an amendment to bar women from serving in Army combat support and combat service support units. That is not in the Senate committee's bill.
The House military personnel subcommittee approved the amendment, which was pushed by the chairman of the full committee, California Republican Duncan Hunter.
Democrats on the House panel said women have shown their capabilities on the front lines. They said the amendment would undermine morale, make recruiting more difficult and put further strains on U.S. forces.
Women make up about 20 percent of combat support and service support units.
Hunter said the proposed ban was needed to prevent women from being placed in the front battle lines, which he said could happen soon unless Congress intervened.
