Highlights of Senate wrap-up legislation
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Highlights of the Senate’s year-end wrap-up legislation:
DEFENSE SPENDING
-- $626 billion for the Pentagon for the budget year that began Oct. 1, including $128 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
-- 3.4% pay increase for service members.
-- $104 billion for weapons procurement, including 30 next-generation Joint Strike Fighters, 10 C-17 Cargo jets not requested by President Obama and $15 billion for seven new Navy ships. Shuts down the costly F-22 fighter program and the much-criticized new presidential helicopter.
-- Rejects Obama’s request for $100 million to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison.
-- Permits Guantanamo detainees to be transferred to the U.S. to stand trial.
EXTENSIONS OF CURRENT LAW UNTIL FEB. 28
-- Continued unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless.
-- 65% health insurance subsidy for the unemployed.
-- Highway and transit funding.
-- Prevents a 21% cut in Medicare payments to physicians.
-- Three provisions of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act.
-- Satellite television laws governing the transmission of local broadcast signals.
-- Waives fees on Small Business Administration loans and increases to 90% the portion of such loans guaranteed by the SBA.
-- Associated Press