As congressional leaders and the White House continue talks aimed at producing a bill providing additional funds for the Iraq war, the key question for the construction industry is how much money the final version will have for infrastructure programs. Attention is centered on the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said May 10, “There is not a thing off the table” in the negotiations. He added, “There are 150 scenarios as to how this matter is going to be handled.”
President Bush and House and Senate Democrats have been tussling for nearly two months over the Iraq bill. The main dispute is not about money but language setting timetables for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq or benchmarks showing progress there. At press time, the Senate was debating Iraq milestone provisions proposed as amendments to a pending Water Resources Development Act.