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WASHINGTON,DC - The House Armed Services Committee has voted to build a missile defense site on the East Coast even though the Pentagon says the facility is unnecessary.

The panel rejected an amendment by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., to eliminate funds for the project. The vote was 33-28 on Wednesday.

The bill calls for construction of the site by the end of 2015 and includes $100 million to study possible sites. Democrats estimated that the project could cost nearly $5 billion.

Pentagon officials told Congress earlier this year that the threats facing the nation do not require a site on the East Coast.

The committee is crafting its version of next year's defense bill. The all-day session was expected to last into the early morning Thursday.