	Most Recent Developments

On Thursday, May 24, 2007, the House and Senate approved a compromise on H.R. 2206 , a bill providing $120 billion in supplemental appropriations for FY2007. The President signed the bill into law, P.L. 110-28 , on May 25, 2007. The bill does not set deadlines for withdrawing troops from Iraq, but it does establish political and security benchmarks for progress by the Iraqi government, and it makes the provision of most new economic assistance to Iraq conditional on achieving specific goals. In all, H.R. 2206 / P.L. 110-28 provides $120.0 billion in new funding. Most of that amount, $99.4 billion, is for the Department of defense, of which $94.7 billion is for military operations, $1.6 billion for military construction, and $3.1 billion for military base realignment and closure. The bill also provides $6.1 billion for international affairs, including assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan. And the bill provides $14.5 billion for domestic programs, including $6.3 billion for hurricane relief, $2.9 billion more than the Administration requested; $3.0 billion for agricultural disaster assistance; $1.8 billion for veteran's health programs; $1.1 billion for homeland security measures; $393 million for state children's health insurance program shortfalls; $465 million for fire fighting; $425 million for secure rural school; and $510 million for a variety of smaller programs. The final bill does not provide funds for pandemic flu preparedness or low income energy assistance that were included in earlier measures. The first bill was H.R. On May 2, by a vote of 222-203, with approval of 2/3 required, the House failed to override the veto. 110-28 establishes eighteen political and security benchmarks for the Iraqi government, and it requires the President to report on progress in Iraq in July and again in September. 2206 , H.Res. 438 , also provides for a future vote on a the text of H.R. 1591 , the initial FY2007 supplemental appropriations bill that the President rejected on May 1;
(2) the May 10, House-passed supplemental package, comprised of the initial version of H.R. 2206 as approved by the House included—
$42.8 billion , available immediately and without conditions, for U.S. military operations abroad, which should be sufficient to avoid any further need for the Army to slow down military operations in anticipation of funding delays; $52.8 billion for U.S. military operations, available only after the President reports, by July 13, 2007, whether the Iraqi government has made progress toward specific political and security benchmarks and after Congress approves and the President signs a joint resolution releasing the funds; $1.7 billion for military construction, without conditions; $3.1 billion for military base realignment and closure, restoring funds that Congress had cut from the FY2007 full year continuing appropriations resolution; $6.2 billion for international affairs, including, with some conditions, reconstruction assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan; $6.8 billion for Gulf State hurricane relief, $3.4 billion more than requested; $1.8 billion for veterans medical care; $2.25 billion for homeland security measures, including port security; $663 million for pandemic flu preparedness; $400 million for low-income energy assistance (LIHEAP); $396 million to make up short-term shortfalls in the State Children's Health Insurance Program; an increase in the minimum wage and small business tax reductions. The House, however, included in the rule governing debate on the bill a requirement that a measure to require the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Iraq by June 30, 2008, be voted on when the House takes up FY2008 supplemental appropriations, which is expected in September. 2206

The final version of the H.R. The provision establishing the benchmarks is Section 1314 of the bill, which was inserted by the second of the two amendments that the House added to the bill on May 24. Iraq Policy Provisions in H.R. The House then passed the first version of H.R. 2206 / P.L. The Senate bill also required a certification in order to release FMF and NADR funds.
On Thursday, May 24, the House and Senate approved a compromise on H.R. 2206, a bill providing $120 billion in supplemental appropriations for FY2007. The President signed the bill into law, P.L. 110-28, on May 25. In the House, the key vote to pass the bill was on approval of the rule, H.Res. 438, which was adopted by 218-201. The rule deemed the bill to be passed after the House adopted two amendments, which were subsequently approved by votes of the Senate then approved the House-passed measure by a vote of 80-14.
The final bill provides money for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere through the end of FY2007 on September 30, 2007. It does not set target dates for withdrawing troops from Iraq, as had Congress's first version of the FY2007 supplemental, H.R. 1591. The President vetoed that bill on May 1, and, on May 2, the House failed to override the veto on by a vote of 222-203, with approval of 2/3 required. Nor does the bill require a later vote to release part of the funds provided for operations in Iraq, as did the initial, May 10, House-passed version of H.R. 2206. The President had warned that he would also veto that bill.
The final bill does, however, establish criteria for evaluating the performance of the Iraqi government, and it sets the stage for a renewed debate over Iraq policy, perhaps coming to a head in September. H.R. 2206/P.L. 110-28, as enacted, establishes eighteen political and security benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet, and it makes $1.6 billion in new economic assistance to Iraq conditional on achieving progress toward those goals, or on the President waiving the requirements. The bill also requires a series of reports on progress in Iraq in July and again in September. And, in the House, H.Res. 438, the rule for considering H.R. 2206, requires a vote on a measure to withdraw most troops from Iraq by June 30, 2008, as the first item of business when the House considers FY2008 funding for Iraq and Afghanistan, which will likely be in September.
In all, H.R. 2206/P.L. 110-28 provides $99.4 billion for the Department of defense, of which $94.7 billion is for military operations, $1.6 billion for military construction, and $3.1 billion for military base realignment and closure. The bill also provides $6.1 billion for international affairs, including assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan. And the bill provides $14.5 billion for domestic programs, including $6.3 billion for hurricane relief, $2.9 billion more than the Administration requested; $3.0 billion for agricultural disaster assistance; $1.8 billion for veteran's health programs; $1.1 billion for homeland security measures; $393 million for state children's health insurance program shortfalls; $465 million for fire fighting; $425 million for secure rural school; and $510 million for a variety of smaller programs. The final bill does not provide funds for pandemic flu preparedness or low income energy assistance that were included in earlier measures.
The bill also increases the minimum wage and a includes package of $4.8 billion in offsetting tax cuts for businesses.