Want Bi-Partisanship in Washington? Support Demining.

Let’s face it: the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Obama Administration are not going to see eye-to-eye on a lot of things.  Or practically anything.  But there is at least one subject on which the agreement is down to the penny: Landmine clearance.

In his FY2014 request, President Obama requested $616,125,000 to support “Non-Proliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs” (The White House, pdf). Just last week, the House Appropriations Committee released the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill and their version of the bill included $501,533,000 for “Non-Proliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related Programs.”  However, the House Committee also included another $114,592,000 for the same activities under the heading of “Overseas Contingency Operations / Global War on Terrorism” for a total budget in FY14 of $616,125,000 (US House of Representatives).

The system in Washington isn’t broken, there just aren’t enough things Democrats and Republican agree on.  Fortunately, everybody still hates landmines more than they hate the other party.

Michael P. Moore

July 22, 2013