Bush slashes aid to poor to boost Iraq war chest

February 6, 2007
Bush slashes aid to poor to boost Iraq war chest

President George Bush is proposing to slash medical care for the poor and elderly to meet the
soaring cost of the Iraq war.

Mr Bush's $2.9 trillion (£1.5 trillion) budget, sent to Congress yesterday, includes
$100bn extra for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for this year, on top of $70bn already allocated by
Congress and $141.7bn next year. He is planning an 11.3% increase for the Pentagon. Spending on the Iraq war is destined to top the total cost of the 13-year war in Vietnam.