Posted on 05/21/2007 1:14:27 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - In grudging concessions to President Bush, Democrats intend to draft an Iraq war-funding bill without a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and shorn of billions of dollars in spending on domestic programs, officials said Monday.
The legislation would include the first federal minimum wage increase in more than a decade, a top priority for the Democrats who took control of Congress in January, the officials added.
While details remain subject to change, the measure is designed to close the books by Friday on a bruising veto fight between Bush and the Democratic-controlled Congress over the war. It would provide funds for military operations in Iraq through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
Democrats in both houses are expected to seek other opportunities to challenge Bush's handling of the unpopular conflict later this year.
Democratic officials stressed the legislation was subject to change. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss provisions before a planned presentation to members of the party's rank and file later in the day.
Democrats in Congress have insisted for months they would not give Bush a blank check for his war policies, and officials said the legislation is expected to include political and military goals for the Iraqi government to meet toward establishment of a more democratic society.
Failure to make progress toward the goals could cost the Iraqis some of the reconstruction aid the United States has promised, although it was not clear whether Democrats intended to give Bush power to order the aid to be spent regardless of progress.
Several officials said it was possible that Democrats would attempt to draft a second bill, to include much of the domestic spending that Bush and congressional Republicans have said they oppose.
Either way, Democratic leaders have said they hope to clear a war spending bill through both houses of Congress and send it to Bush's desk by week's end. They added the intention was to avoid a veto.
Bush vetoed one bill this spring after Democrats included a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq, and Republicans in the House upheld his rejection of the measure.
The House then passed legislation to provide war funds in two 60-day installments. Bush threatened a veto, and the measure was sidetracked in the Senate in favor of a non-controversial bill that merely pledged to give the troops the resources they need.
That set the stage for the current House-Senate negotiations on a measure to send to Bush.
who do you support for Pres in 08?
That makes sense.
I think many are too disgusted to even chime in at DU.
Should be a fun thread over there.
Yes, the payment to Democrats is in AMNESTY bill.
The RATS are caving on a timeline.
The Senate caved on immediate passage of the amnesty bill.
Are they putting something different in the water in Wash DC?
All hat no cattle.
Bush has always wanted amnesty for his preferred people.
Veto his own bill? Why would he do that?
“All hat no cattle.”
The accent is fake too.
I wouldn’t count on that - even if Bush cared that much about the GOP.
It was Republicans who got the Civil Rights Act passed while Gore’s father and Clinton’s mentor, Fullbright - both dim senators - among many other dim senators tried their best to stop it.
It was Lincoln - the first Republican president who freed the slaves. Yet who do blacks knee jerk to - the DIM party.
The truth is what the dim media and the skoolz say it is. They’ve done a very good job of re-writing history and they will do the same with their new illegal voters.
If it is a top priority to give a minimum wage increase, why did the Democrats not support it LAST year when the Republicans were pushing it?
Bush shocked the hell out of’em by not caving like the prison b!+ch he is on domestic issues. They’re probably still stuttering in disbelief: “b-b-b-but h-he *always* caves in to take the blame himself!”
Not on foreign policies, ladies...
That’s exactly what I was thinking !! LOL!
Then I thought maybe it was some kind of joke!
If this is true .. the left’s “kooks” will be raging mad.
No tradeoff required. He just has a Congress he can work with now.
What trade-off?
President has always been for what is in the immigration bill.
No, this was a win for the President.
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