House lawmakers today marked up a $488 billion fiscal year 2009 defense appropriations bill that would add $564 million to the Pentagon's February request for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and slash funding for the nascent U.S. Africa Command by $308 million, according to a statement from House Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-PA). The additional funds would pay for ISR "assets" and cover "operational costs" identified by Defense Department officials, the statement reads. Murtha spokesman Matthew Mazonkey declined...
