“demonstration of our support, of Congress' support, of our men and women in uniform.” The vote was to adopt a conference report, which would appropriate $368.7 billion in fiscal 2004 for defense and national security, $3.6 billion less than the administration’s request. The total included $115.9 billion for operations and maintenance, and $74.7 billion for procurement. It provided $98.5 billion for military personnel, with an average 4.1 percent pay raise. It included $9.1 billion for a missile defense system, up $1.4 billion from this year, and $11.5 billion for shipbuilding, up $2.4 billion. [HR 2658, Vote 364, 9/25/03; Associated Press, 9/25/03] XXXX Voted For A $368.6 Billion Defense Spending Bill; Vote “Showed Democratic Reluctance to Challenge [Bush’s] Defense Priorities.” On July 17, 2003, XXXX voted for passage of a $368.6 billion defense spending bill, “after Republicans beat back a new Democratic push for an examination of how the White House handled intelligence on Iraqi weapons programs.” The bill was $3.1 billion below Bush's budget request for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2003 and represented a Defense Department budget increase of slightly more than 1 percent (not including a $62.4 billion emergency spending bill passed earlier this year to cover the cost of war in Iraq). The AP reported, “The bill largely meets President Bush's budget request and the 95-0 vote showed Democratic reluctance to challenge his defense priorities.” The vote was on passage of the bill that would appropriate $368.6 billion in fiscal 2004 for the Department of Defense and related agencies, including $98.9 billion for military personnel, $115.6 billion for operations and maintenance, $74 billion for procurement, and $63.6 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation of weapons equipment and technology. [HR 2658, Vote 290, 7/17/03; Associated Press, 7/17/03] XXXX Voted For Calling for Funding for Ongoing Military Operations to be Included in President’s Annual Budget Request. On July 17, 2003, XXXX voted for a “nonbinding” amendment that called on the Bush administration to fund overseas commitments like Iraq through the regular budget process, instead of separate spending bills. The vote was on a Byrd, D-WV, amendment that would express the sense of the Senate that any funds for ongoing military operations, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, should be included in the president’s annual budget request and that such funds, when allocated in appropriations bills, should be placed in specific accounts. [HR 2658, Vote 286, 7/17/03; Associated Press, 7/17/03] XXXX Voted for the 2004 Defense Authorization. In May 2003, XXXX voted for a bill that would authorize $400.5 billion in appropriations for defense, military construction and defense-related work for the Department of Energy. The bill would authorize $9.1 billion for ballistic missile defense, $75.6 billion for procurement, $63.2 billion for research and development, $130 billion for operations and maintenance, $9.5 billion for military construction and family housing and $16.7 billion for Energy Department defense programs. [S1050, Vote 194, 5/22/03] XXXX Voted to End the Defense Department’s ‘Buy American’ Requirement. In May 2003, XXXX voted for the McCain, R-AZ., amendment to the Dayton, D-MN., amendment that would allow the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands or Spain. The Dayton amendment would strike a provision of the bill allowing the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by any nation with which the United States has a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum of understanding or agreement. [S 1050, Vote 191, 5/21/03] XXXX Voted Against Shifting $191 Billion From Tax Cuts To Homeland Security And Defense. On March 21, 2003, XXXX voted against shifting $191 billion in proposed tax cuts to a homeland security and national defense reserve fund. The vote was on an amendment sponsored by Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ); Rejected 46-53. [S Con Res 23, Vote 68, 3/21/03] XXXX Voted to Approve Fiscal Defense Appropriations. In October 2002, XXXX voted for a bill that would provide $355.1 billion for the Defense Department for fiscal 2003, an increase of $21 billion over fiscal 2002 regular and supplemental funds. The agreement includes $71.5 billion for procurement programs and $7.4 billion for ballistic missile defense. It includes $4 billion for the Air Force's F-22 fighter jets program and would fund a 4.1 percent pay increase for military personnel. [HR 5010, Vote 239, 10/16/02] 316