September 7, 2006: Defense FY 2007 Passes

After returning to action yesterday, the Senate today passed the FY 2007 Defense Appropriations Bill 98-0.  Amendments agreed to included the Reed Amendment securing funds for investment in manless aircraft, a Conrad Amendment swearing to step up efforts to find bin Laden, a Schumer Amendment offering funds to curb opium production in Afghanistan.

Once it had passed the Defense Appropriations bill, the Senate went on to consider the SAFE Ports Act, which it continued to consider on Friday the 8th....


The Democrats appear to have adopted a strategy of offering amendments where they perceive weaknesses in the Administration's Defense efforts.  For example, the increase in opium production in Afghanistan.  Here, a motion to table the amendment did not pass and the amendment itself was eventually agreed to.  Among Republicans supporting it were Warner, Snowe, Ensign, DeWine, Collins, Coleman, and Talent.  Stevens opposed it by saying that NATO was now in control of Afghanistan and that the problem should be addressed by NATO.

Another example is the Conrad bin Laden Amendment, its stated purpose being to, "To enhance intelligence community efforts to bring Osama bin Laden and other key leaders of al Qaeda to the justice they deserve."  Stevens opposed this bill on the floor, pointing out that the Administration had closed the CIA bin Laden unit because it believed that its efforts to get bin Laden were best addressed via other means.  However, the Amendment was eventually agreed to 96-0.