Updated on
Summary
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she could not promise that lawmakers would approve funding by early next month for President Barack Obama's Afghan troop increase. Mr Obama asked Congress in February for $33 billion (S$45.9 billion)to help pay for 30,000 additional troops he is sending to Afghanistan this year. The Senate approved the money in May, adding some domestic disaster relief as well. But the measure stalled in the House amid growing doubts about the Afghanistan conflict, and other funding demands in a time of scarcity. House Appropriations Committee chairman Dave Obey, who said last year that adding more US troops to Afghanistan was 'a fool's errand' has not asked the panel to vote on the bill. Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged Congress this week to approve the money by the US July 4 holiday if possible, to avoid the Pentagon having to juggle accounts and possibly lay off civilians later in the summer. 'That was our hope,' she told a news conference when asked about House action by then. Hope that will be soon. But I don't want to give any dates, because then you'll say I didn't make the date.' She sought to assign some blame for the uncertainty to minority Republicans, most of whom supported the Afghan troop increase. Ms Pelosi said the Republicans were now looking for an 'excuse' to oppose the funding bill.
