This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6644455.stm

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
US House passes Iraq funding bill US House passes Iraq funding bill
(about 6 hours later)
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill which would fund military operations in Iraq to the end of July.The US House of Representatives has passed a bill which would fund military operations in Iraq to the end of July.
Under the bill, further funding would be dependent on events in Iraq meeting certain, as yet undefined, benchmarks of progress. Further funding would be dependent on events in Iraq meeting certain, as yet undefined, benchmarks of progress.
President George W Bush said he would veto the bill but hinted a compromise was possible, saying the idea of setting benchmarks "made sense". President Bush has already vetoed one Iraq funding bill and said he opposed the new proposal, but did say that the idea of benchmarks "made sense".
Mr Bush has already vetoed one bill linking funding to troop withdrawal. The move came as the White House and Democrats struck an accord on standards for bilateral free trade deals.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed the bill late on Thursday in a 221-205 vote. The deal was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, who hailed it as a result of the Democratic triumph in last year's congressional elections.
Although the new bill has passed in the House, most Republicans oppose it. That makes it unlikely it will be passed in the Senate, where the Democrats have a very slender majority. Under the new agreement countries seeking direct trade agreements with the US will have to abide by minimum standards on labour and environmental issues.
'No blank cheque' Historically, Democrats have been lukewarm on supporting free trade deals without built-in minimum standards.
The new bill would ring-fence about half of the money, $52.8bn, that Mr Bush has requested to fund the war in Iraq. Correspondents say the White House agreed to the proposal in an effort to secure Democratic support in Congress for free trade deals, including pending deals with Peru, Ecuador, Panama and Colombia.
Lawmakers would then vote in July on whether to release this money on the basis of a report from Mr Bush on progress towards political, economic and security targets. Republican pressure
Mr Bush said such "piecemeal" funding would not work. On Iraq, the House passed its latest funding bill late on Thursday by 221 votes to 205.
He has resisted any attempt to link war funding to withdrawal but is coming under increasing pressure from some Republicans, as well as Democrats, over progress in Iraq. The bill would immediately release some $43bn (£21.8bn) of funding requested by Mr Bush for the war in Iraq.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeated her assertion that Americans will not write a "blank cheque" for President Bush to fight the war in Iraq. It has his benchmarks, it asks for a progress report... What could be fairer than that? Nancy PelosiUS House Speaker However it would also ringfence almost $53bn for release only after a demonstration in July that progress had been made towards political, economic and security targets.
Although the new bill has passed in the House, most Republicans oppose it.
That makes it unlikely it will be passed in the Senate, where the Democrats have a very slender majority.
Mr Bush himself has resisted attempts to link war funding to withdrawal, and said such "piecemeal" funding would not work.
However, he is coming under increasing pressure from some Republicans, as well as Democrats, over progress in Iraq.
Earlier this week a group of 11 Republican congressmen met Mr Bush at the White House to warn him that he cannot rely on unqualified support for his policy past September.
'Haphazard'
After Thursday's vote Ms Pelosi repeated the Democratic assertion that there will be no "blank cheque" for President Bush to fight the Iraq war.
"This is a bill he should like," she said."This is a bill he should like," she said.
I'll veto the bill if it is this haphazard, piecemeal funding and I made that clear President George W Bush Wielding the veto
"It has his benchmarks, it asks for a progress report, he must have some confidence in what he is doing, and then leave it up to the Congress to make a judgment in July, what could be fairer than that?""It has his benchmarks, it asks for a progress report, he must have some confidence in what he is doing, and then leave it up to the Congress to make a judgment in July, what could be fairer than that?"
Republican Representative Jerry Lewis said the Democrats' unwillingness to fully fund the war in Iraq called into question their commitment to US troops. But Mr Bush maintained his opposition to the bill, insisting he would again wield his veto to strike it down.
"It is legislation that says to the troops we support you conditionally today but don't expect Congress to support you two months from now... Is this the message we want to send to al-Qaeda?"
Earlier on Thursday, the House of Representatives rejected a separate and largely symbolic bill calling for US troops to withdraw from Iraq within 180 days of the legislation being passed.
The vote, proposed by a group of anti-war Democrats, was rejected by 255 votes to 171.
'Speed up the clock'
Speaking to reporters prior to the votes but after he met defence officials at the Pentagon, Mr Bush reiterated his determination to strike down the legislation before Congress in its current form.
One message I have heard from people of both sides is that benchmarks make sense, and I agree President George W Bush
"I'll veto the bill if it is this haphazard, piecemeal funding and I made that clear," he said. "We reject that idea. It won't work.""I'll veto the bill if it is this haphazard, piecemeal funding and I made that clear," he said. "We reject that idea. It won't work."
However, the president's statement that he would consider discussion on putting benchmarks in a war-funding bill represents a shift in his position. But he did signal that he could be in favour of setting benchmarks, saying that people "on both sides" had told him they could work if common ground was found.
"One message I have heard from people of both sides is that benchmarks make sense, and I agree," he said. Mr Bush also said the Iraqi government - which plans to take a two-month summer recess - needed to "speed up their clock" on measures designed to bring stability to the country.
Mr Bush said he had asked his chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, to talk to congressional leaders "to find common ground" on setting benchmarks.
The idea of "benchmarks", which have been unspecified so far but may include targets for the Iraqi government to meet, began circulating on Capitol Hill after the first war funding bill was vetoed.
Mr Bush said the Iraqi government - which plans to take a two-month summer recess - needed to "speed up their clock" on measures designed to bring stability to the country.