House Panel Votes to Kill B-2: The...

House Panel Votes to Kill B-2: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $295-billion defense spending program that makes deep cuts in the Strategic Defense Initiative and kills off the B-2 bomber, actions making it a veto target. The bill is due on the House floor Friday. The panel eliminated about $3 billion sought for four more of Northrop Corp.’s radar-evading B-2 Stealth bombers and for parts that need to be bought in advance of the purchase of additional aircraft. It approved $2.6 billion for SDI, the ambitious effort to develop ballistic-missile defenses. The Bush Administration had asked for about $4.6 billion.