Republicans vote for unneeded military spending

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/us/politics/gop-extracts-price-for-averting-shutdown.html?partner=MYWAY&ei=5065

By JONATHAN WEISMAN and ASHLEY PARKERDEC. 8, 2014

Congress prepared on Monday to scale back Michelle Obama's school-lunch nutrition mandates and curtail some clean water regulations in a $1 trillion spending bill that would avert a government shutdown this week but extract a policy price from Democrats.

•••••

More than half of the overall package -- about $554 billion -- would go to military spending.

•••••

Meantime, conservatives on and off Capitol Hill were growing more leery as lawmakers tried to stuff the spending plan with other, only marginally related measures. Lawmakers were considering add-ons to extend federal terrorism risk insurance for private developers

•••••

Military projects were given the benefit of the doubt in a package that will bear the fingerprints of Republican negotiators more than any other spending legislation has since the party took control of the House. For instance, seven reserve Awacs surveillance planes the administration wanted to cut from the Air Force Reserves will be saved at Tinker Air Force Base in Mr. Cole's district.

•••••