The Change Mariner

US president signs 401-billion-dollar defense authorization bill

Xinhuanet.com:

US President George W. Bush signed a 401-billion-dollar defense authorization bill Monday for the 2004 fiscal year at the Pentagon, pledging to do whatever is necessary to keep the United States strong and safe.

"America's military is standing between our country and grave danger," Bush said at the signing ceremony.

The authorization, an increase of 8 billion dollars over the 2003 fiscal year, provides a 4.15-percent average pay raise for military personnel and 9.1 billion dollars for the development of missile defense.

... The authorization bill also granted Defense Secretary Donald H.Rumsfeld much of the control he sought over the Pentagon's civilian work force. It would give supervisors greater flexibility to hire, fire and transfer civilian workers.

Rumsfeld has sought to set up a separate personnel system for the Pentagon's civilian work force in a bid to free more troops for combat position. Democrats complained the bill stripped civilian workers of many basic rights.

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