Bush prods Congress on defense budget

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Amid the sharpening of the debate over the shrinking federal budget surplus, President Bush on Monday urged Congress to give priority to funding his military spending request when it reconvenes next month.

"Let us keep our priorities straight and start with the things that matter most to our country's security and our country's future," Bush said, addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention here. "This year, let us have responsible spending from day one and put the national security and education of our children first in line when it comes to the appropriations process."

Bush's amended budget request for the Department of Defense in fiscal 2002 would raise overall defense spending by $18 billion -- with billions more for research and development of missile defense systems, as well as for military pay, housing and medical care.

Monday's speech marked the first of two appearances in Milwaukee. After his visit to the VFW convention, Bush toured a Harley Davidson plant, where some 980 workers manufacture engines and transmissions for the revered motorcycles. The president then departed Milwaukee for Kansas City, where he will speak at a high school on Tuesday morning.

Over the past week, the president has left his vacation camp in central Texas to visit four states -- Colorado and New Mexico last week, and this week's sojourn to Wisconsin and Missouri. Each of those states was closely fought during last year's election, prompting some analysts to speculate that Bush is looking to shore up his political base.

VIDEO President Bush addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Milwaukee (August 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

The president's comments on the military were delivered in front of an assembly of veterans that was sure to receive them with cheers and applause.

Bush also pledged to his audience that he would work to speed up backlogged veterans benefits claims. He said 53,000 claims have been pending for over a year, many from veterans who are over 70 years old.

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"We must bring these claims to a speedy and fair resolution," he said. "We must move as quickly as possible on the backlog, and we will."

Bush's recent trips away from his vacation camp at his ranch in central Texas have taken him to states that were closely fought in the presidential election last year. Last week, he visited Colorado, which he won with 51 percent of the vote, and New Mexico, which he lost narrowly to former Vice President Al Gore. Gore also won here in Wisconsin narrowly, and Bush's next stop is in Missouri, where the race was closer than in most states.