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House Breaks Up Iraq War Funding Bill

Unusual move allows vote against war, for domestic spending
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted May 23, 2007 5:59 AM CDT
House Breaks Up Iraq War Funding Bill
'   (Associated Press)

House Democratic leaders are splitting the new Iraq funding bill into two distinct amendments, the Politco reports. One will be the $103 billion Bush requested for the war in Iraq, which will speak of benchmarks but won't demand a withdrawal date, the other a $17 billion domestic spending package.

The maneuver allows Dems who oppose the compromised bill to vote against it without blocking funding for Katrina aid and a minimum wage increase. Liberals are slamming the Iraq bill as a surrender to stay-the-course Republicans, but Nancy Pelosi defended it even as her tactic made it easier to oppose. "It's a giant step toward beginning the end of the war," she said. (More Iraq stories.)

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