April 26: The US House on Wednesday approved a $124 billion war spending bill which also includes the requirement for American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by Oct 1. The House voted 218 to 208 to pass a measure that sought the removal of most combat forces by next spring. The supporters included 216 Democrats and 2 Republicans whereas 195 Republicans and 13 Democrats opposed it.
Lawmakers tightened the screws by paying meticulous attention for visiting top army general in Iraq, David Petraeus, who during a closed-door session earlier in the day championed the troop "surge" strategy and appealed for a proper time table so it could show results. Just after few hours of David Petraeus’s statement, President Bush has reiterated that he will veto it.
Democrats, on the other hand were boosted by the release of this poll that showed a majority of Americans with them, on the issue and believe victory in Iraq is no longer possible. This framed a solid foundation for their argument about acting on the will of the nation.
“Last fall, the American people voted for a new direction in Iraq,� said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is leading the Democrats. “They made it clear that our troops must be given all they need to do their jobs, but that our troops must be brought home responsibly, safely, and soon.�
Republicans on the other had a different opinion about it; they accused Democrats of establishing a ‘date certain’ for America’s defeat in Iraq and capitulating to terrorism.
The bill will have to clear the voting in Senate, where it is expected to pass, before heading to Bush who has repeatedly vowed to block the bill and threatened to defeat it. On Thursday the Senate is expected to approve identical legislation, which provides more than $95 billion for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan till Sep 30, with the money conditioned on the administration’s willingness to accept a timetable for withdrawal and new benchmarks to assess the progress of the Iraqi government.
“Tonight, the House of Representatives voted for failure in Iraq… and the president will veto its bill,� said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
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