On May 22, the Senate passed the FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations Act (H.R. 2642). The House approved portions of the bill on May 15; the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill the same day (see The Source, 5/16/08). The Senate considered the bill in two amendments, one addressing spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the other addressing funding for domestic programs.
The Senate adopted, 70-26, the war funding amendment, which would provide $165 billion in FY2008 for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the Senate rejected, 34-63, an amendment that would have required the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
The Senate also approved, 75-22, the domestic spending amendment, which would expand veterans educational benefits under the GI Bill (P.L. 78-346), extend unemployment insurance by 13 weeks, and remove the restriction on “nominal” pricing for university health clinics and Planned Parenthood facilities under the Public Health Service Act (P.L. 78-410).
Unlike the House version of the bill, the Senate did not include the .47 percent surtax on the incomes of individuals earning $500,000 or more ($1 million for joint filers).
