Bush calls on Congress to approve war funding.
President Bush is urging Congress to approve billions of dollars in war funding before Christmas. He said that if Congress doesn't clear the funds, the Army would have to shut down bases and start laying off more than 100 thousand civilian workers by mid-February. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has already ordered the Army and Marine Corps to plan for cutbacks. A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the speaker has no plans to revisit war funding before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Congress is close to raising fuel economy standards for most U.S. cars and trucks. The bill would increase the corporate average fuel economy standard to 35 miles per hour fleet-wide by 2020. Right now, the standard for cars is 27 and a half miles per gallon and just more than 22 for trucks. However, the legislation also has several significant loopholes that would allow auto companies to get around the new limits. The Senate passed the mandate in June, and the House is expected to vote next week.
Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf says his country's state of emergency will be lifted and the constitution restored in less than three weeks. That's before the general election is held January 8. Musharraf made the announcement yesterday, after being sworn in to presidential office as a civilian for another five-year term. The move was welcomed by main opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who intends to take part in the general elections under protest. But former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said his party would boycott and demanded the reinstatement of judges done away with by Musharraf.
Public health officials are calling for tighter restrictions on salt content in food. They argue that cutting back on its overuse could save thousands of lives each year. The Center for Science in the Public Interest wants the Food and Drug Administration to beef up labeling, require manufacturers to cut salt in packaged foods, and subject it to stricter regulations. The FDA hasn't considered this issue since 1982 but says it's the right time to revisit it.
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