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Gates lobbies for more funds — for State

Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the Senate Budget Committee chairman at home to lobby for more money — but not for a bigger defense budget.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., revealed Monday that Gates called to ensure the broad 2010 federal budget included more State Department funding.

The 2010 budget resolution being debated this week in the Senate includes $556 billion for defense spending, a 3.8 percent increase over 2009, and $50 billion for international affairs, a 17.8 percent increase.

The five-year federal budget being debated by the Senate includes $45 billion more over five years than funding levels proposed by the Bush administration.

Conrad said he was ready to propose a $4 billion reduction in international relations and foreign aid in the belief that spending money on domestic programs was more important.

“They were a little unhappy or disappointed that I was cutting,” Conrad said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called to ask Conrad to change his mind, which is nothing unusual.

But Gates’ call was something new, Conrad said.

“I have never before in my 22 years on the budget committee had the secretary of defense call me to support the budget for the State Department,” Conrad said.

Gates said it was in the Pentagon’s interest to have a healthier foreign aid budget, Conrad said.

“He told me there is a lot that is being spent out of the Defense Department budget that should be spent out of the State Department budget for activities in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Conrad said.