The Senate today approved the $355.4 billion fiscal year 2003 defense appropriations bill by a 95-3 vote. The Bush administration's request for a $10 billion emergency response fund, included in the FY-03 defense budget request, is being addressed as a separate supplemental appropriation, Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI) told InsideDefense.com last month. The Senate bill is $35 billion above the Defense Department's FY-02 appropriated level and $700 million more than the House FY-03 defense appropriations bill, which...
