Bush asks for $46B more for war budget

? President Bush asked Congress for $46 billion more to bankroll wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and said he wants the money approved by Christmas. The fighting in Iraq, in its fifth year, already has cost more than $455 billion.

Democrats who gained control of Congress with an antiwar message said Bush should not expect lawmakers to rubber-stamp the request.

“The colossal cost of this war grows every day – in lives lost, dollars spent and to our reputation around the world,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “The American people long ago rejected the president’s planned 10-year occupation of Iraq and want the administration to provide a concrete plan to bring our troops home.”

Monday’s proposal brings to $196.4 billion the total requested for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere for the budget year that started Oct. 1. It includes $189.3 billion for the Defense Department, $6.9 billion for the State Department and $200 million for other agencies.

With stepped-up military operations, the war is costing about $10 billion a month.