House Rejects Bush’s Plan on B-2 Bomber, ‘Star Wars’ : Defense: Alternative proposal would cap production of the plane at 15. It seeks more money for reserves.

WASHINGTON —  Brushing aside a veto threat, the House overwhelmingly rejected President Bush’s top defense priorities Tuesday and moved toward approving a Democratic alternative that would hold B-2 bomber production at 15 planes and eliminate a key “Star Wars” anti-missile system.

The Democratic plan, a $291-billion defense authorization bill for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, would use the money saved on the B-2 and Star Wars programs to continue a number of job-rich weapons projects on Bush’s chopping block and to pay for a costly strengthening of reserve forces.

In pressing for Bush’s budget--which also totals $291 billion but with different priorities--Republicans sought to capitalize on the stunning U.S.-led military triumph in the Persian Gulf. They urged the House to resist pork-barreling and follow the leaders who “won the war”--Bush, Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin L. Powell and the Gulf War commander, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

“We have an opportunity to put strategic planning ahead of parochial interests,” said Rep. Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.), speaking on behalf of the President’s defense blueprint.

But Democratic leaders, arguing that their spending plan draws more heavily than the Administration proposal on lessons learned from the Gulf conflict, were able to scuttle the Bush budget on a largely party-line vote, 287 to 127.

The House is expected to complete action on the defense bill today and send it to the Senate, which is likely to adhere more closely to Bush’s requests. Differences between the two chambers will have to be worked out in conference.

Noting that the Bush plan “was put together before Operation Desert Storm,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.) protested that “it reflects nothing that happened in the war.”

The House rejected arguments that the success of Stealth F-117 fighter-bombers and Scud-destroying Patriot missiles in the Gulf demonstrated the wisdom of proceeding full-throttle on the B-2 and sophisticated Star Wars systems.

Opponents contended that a sharp reduction in the threat posed by the Soviet Union has reduced the need for such weapons.

The Democrats prevailed by 11 votes more than the two-thirds majority required to overturn a presidential veto. Bush issued a veto threat Monday, citing the Democratic-sponsored bill’s significant reductions in Star Wars, the termination of the B-2 Stealth bomber at the 15 planes now in production, and the provision of funds for weapons the Pentagon wants to cancel.

All California Republicans voted for the Bush measure. But only two of the state’s Democrats, Reps. Glenn M. Anderson of San Pedro and Esteban E. Torres of La Puente--both supporters of the B-2--voted for the Administration plan. Reps. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City) and Gary A. Condit (D-Ceres) missed the roll call.

The Democratic defense plan, produced by the House Armed Services Committee, rejects Bush’s request for $4.2 billion to build four additional B-2s at Northrop Corp. plants in the Los Angeles area. Instead, it provides $1.6 billion to continue research and development on the radar-evading bomber.

The legislation also would trim $1.6 billion from the Stars Wars program by eliminating development of “Brilliant Pebbles,” a system of orbiting interceptor missiles that the Administration hopes to deploy by the late 1990s to protect the United States against small-scale attack.

The House bill instead would shift funds toward development of ground-based defenses that protect U.S. sites as well as cover U.S. forces or allies abroad.

Also contrary to Bush’s wishes, the bill would push ahead with the new V-22 Osprey helicopter-fixed wing hybrid as well as upgrade the M-1 tank and the F-14 fighter.

Moreover, the House measure would make less than half of the personnel cuts in National Guard and reserve units sought by the Pentagon, while substantially beefing up equipment.

The reserves’ chief advocate, Rep. G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery (D-Miss.), gave a startlingly candid view of the vote-attracting potential of heavy spending on the reserves.

“The best way to spread around defense spending is to have National Guard and reserve units in our different communities where they can receive additional income and educational benefits,” he said.

In testimony before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee Tuesday, Cheney sharply attacked the proposed increases for reserves as well as the cuts for Star Wars and the B-2.

Cheney said it would cost $11 billion over six years if the Pentagon were able to cut only 91,000 reserves instead of the 187,000 it proposes.

“If we’re going to get rid of a third of the active-duty combat units in the Army, I don’t need as many (reserves) to support that force,” he said.

In other action on the House bill Tuesday, liberal Democrats were trounced in efforts to force allies in Europe, Japan and South Korea to share more of the defense burden with the United States.

Voting 255 to 167, the House rejected an amendment to cut $8 billion by withdrawing U.S. troops from those areas. However, by a 260-163 vote, the House approved a non-binding measure that calls for U.S. troops in Europe to be reduced to less than 100,000 from the current 275,000 within three years.

Times staff writer John M. Broder contributed to this story.

Differences Over Defense

Key differences between President Bush’s $291-billion defense budget and the House Armed Services Committee plan:

STRATEGIC DEFENSE INITIATIVE

* Bush proposed $5.2 billion in fiscal 1992 on the Strategic Defense Initiative and missile defenses.

* The House proposed $3.5 billion, including $858 million for missiles such as the Patriot. The House provided no funds for “Brilliant Pebbles,” an SDI-type program.

B-2 STEALTH BOMBER

* Bush sought $4.2 billion for four new radar-evading planes and research on the aircraft program, which calls for 75 bombers.

* The House bill would halt work on the B-2 bomber at the 15 planes in production, reject the four new radar-evading planes but continue research.

ACTIVE DUTY TROOP CUTS

* Bush and the House agree to reduce the approximately 2 million troops in uniform by 106,000.

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES

* Bush sought a cut of 187,000.

* The House trimmed that cut to 91,000, and added money for equipment for the Guard and Reserve.