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| President Bush tours Boeing facility. (Photo courtesy of the White House) |
President George W. Bush put his signature on an emergency supplemental spending bill April 16 that will provide $78.5 billion for initial costs of the war in Iraq and funds to begin paying for reconstruction of the war-torn country.
In remarks that afternoon to workers at a Boeing aircraft facility in St. Louis, Mo., Bush thanked Congress for "acting quickly to give our men and women in arms the support they need." The supplemental funds will pay for part of the cost arising directly from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Specifically, the bill allots $62.4 billion for war costs and $7.5 billion for Iraqi relief and reconstruction. Of those funds, $2.48 billion will be earmarked for a new Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. Another $3.9 billion will go for Homeland Security, including $200 million for grants for critical infrastructure. The Transportation Security Agency will receive $235 million for airport modifications to install explosive detection systems for checked baggage, $20 million for port security and $280 million for other needs.
