Democratic leadership wins first major test on Iraq funds

Republicans attack war spending bill -- which passed on a narrow margin -- as a recipe for defeat in Iraq littered with "pork-barrel" funding.

The House voted 218-212 Friday to approve a $124.3 billion emergency spending bill that takes the first steps to end what Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called a "grotesque war" in Iraq.

The result was a major victory for Pelosi's new and fractious majority -- aided by what Republicans lambasted as "sweeteners" to attract votes -- but it remains unclear whether the measure's strict timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal will survive conference. President Bush on Friday vowed to veto the bill because it "has too much pork, too many conditions and a timetable for withdrawal" from Iraq.

Another, more massive spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be considered this fall, guaranteeing the debate will continue. But Democrats hailed approval of the supplemental Friday as the beginning of a new direction in the war and in Congress.

"Rather than sending more troops into the chaos that is the Iraqi civil war, we must be focused on bringing the war to an end," Pelosi said. "The American people do not support a war without end and neither should this Congress."

Approval also represented a victory for Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., who was elected to Congress in 1969 during the height of the Vietnam War.

Obey at times during the past few weeks appeared uncomfortable with the horse-trading used in constructing the bill. But he said Friday Congress must no longer "rubber stamp" President Bush's policies.

"We can continue to do what he wants and only what he wants and only when he wants to do it and only in the way he wants to do it, or we can do what our Founding Fathers envisioned when they created the Congress," Obey said.

Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., a decorated Marine colonel who served in Vietnam, has more than any other member been associated with the effort to end the war. His voice quaking with emotion, Murtha noted his great-grandfather lost his arm fighting for the North in the Civil War.

"My great-grandmother died when she was 96. I was six years old," he said. "She said you're on this earth to make a difference ... We're going to make a difference with this bill."

Republicans blasted the bill as a recipe for defeat in Iraq littered with "pork-barrel" funding such as money for Gulf Coast shrimpers, California spinach growers and Georgia peanut farmers.

"What does throwing money at Bubba Gump, Popeye the sailor man and Mr. Peanut have to do with fighting the war?" said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, a fighter pilot in Vietnam who spent seven years as a prisoner of war. Johnson said the image of Marines being airlifted out of the U.S. embassy in Saigon hovered over the debate.

"That's what happens when America makes a commitment, and Congress cuts the funding, and we go home with our tails between our legs. We can't let that happen again," Johnson said. "If we learned anything from the brave Marines who died trying to save innocent people at the embassy in Vietnam, it's that Marines never quit. John, you know this. Neither should we," he added, addressing Murtha.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.