House Passes Another Veto-bound Iraq Bill

The House of Representatives yesterday passed another Iraq war spending bill for President Bush to veto. The bill, H.R. 2206, which passed 221-205, would provide $42.8 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, or less than half the $100 billion requested by President Bush. The bill withholds another $52.8 billion until the end of July, and makes that funding contingent on Congressional review of war progress reports submitted by the White House.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will probably try to modify it to avoid a presidential veto. One suggestion among Senators has been to approve the entire $100 billion in war funding, contingent on Iraq meeting binding "benchmarks" of progress in ensuring its own internal security.

President Bush has promised to veto any war spending bill that provides what he called "haphazard, piecemeal funding."

On May 1, Bush vetoed a bill that would have required him to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by October 1, with a non-binding goal of total troop withdrawal by March 31, 2008. Congress failed to override that veto.

Also See:
Bush Vetoes Bill Setting Iraq Troop Withdrawal
Can Congress End the Iraq War?
Iraq War Results & Statistics as of May 2, 2007 (Liberal Politics)