House lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in June to block legislation by Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) that would have stopped the program, which funnels surplus military weapons to police departments at no charge. The so-called '1033 program,' launched in 1997, has provided billions of dollars in military equipment to local law enforcement agencies around the country. Grayson's amendment failed 62 to 355, with Democrats opposing the legislation by a 3-to-1 margin.

The effects of the program have been on full display in Ferguson, where police have responded to mostly peaceful protests over the Aug. 9 murder of Michael Brown with a stunning display of force involving armored vehicles, tear gas, assault rifles and smoke bombs. The result is a nightly scene that looks more like an international war zone than a St. Louis suburb.