April 3, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 30, 1424

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WASHINGTON, April 2: Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers are reluctant to give President George W. Bush full control over the $74.7-billion emergency spending funds he is seeking to continue his fight in Iraq and against terrorism elsewhere.

Both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, which completed their debate on Tuesday, are not only willing to provide the money Mr Bush is seeking but also have offered him more. The Senate committee is offering about $79 billion and the House about $78 billion to the Bush administration for its war efforts. But panel Republicans and Democrats refused to give President Bush the leeway he sought for the Pentagon.

The bill will be put for final approval later this week. President Bush has asked the lawmakers to approve the bill by April 11.

While sending his request for more war funds, Mr Bush urged Congress to place $59.9 billion of the $62.6 billion in his bill for the Pentagon into a large discretionary fund. The fund will give Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wide latitude in spending money on the war in Iraq and fighting terrorism.

If Mr Bush’s proposal were approved, Mr Rumsfeld will only be obliged to submit quarterly reports to Congress on how the money is spent.

But the lawmakers have greatly limited the size of the lump sum accounts outside Congressional control. The House version gave Mr Bush flexibility over only $25.4 billion of the defence money, and even that requires the Pentagon to notify Congress seven days before spending any of the money. The Senate went further, reducing the unfettered spending fund to $11 billion.

In return for putting financial constraints on the Bush administration, the Democrats have dropped their criticism of Mr Bush’s diplomatic performance. They also praised the prosecution of war even as many outside Congress have questioned whether the war plan underestimated the level of resistance coalition troops would face in Iraq.