The House late Thursday approved additional funding for the war in Afghanistan, beating back a series of Democratic amendments aimed at forcing the Obama administration to withdraw troops.
The supplemental appropriations bill, containing billions of dollars in additional domestic spending sought by Democrats in the House, passed 239-182, with 15 Democrats and 167 of 177 Republicans voting against the measure.
But President Barack Obama will not be able to sign the war funding bill — which the Pentagon had wanted to see signed into law by July 4 — until later this month because the House amended the Senate’s already approved version of the legislation.
And further changes seem likely. Just as the House was preparing to vote on the rule for the supplemental, the Obama administration released a statement strongly supporting the underlying war funding but threatening a presidential veto of any bill that includes “provisions that would undermine [the president’s] ability as commander in chief to conduct military operations in Afghanistan.”
The administration statement also threatened a veto of any bill “that includes cuts to education reforms.” The $15 billion in education aid added by the House would be partially offset by $800 million in cuts to new education programs. The Appropriations Committee said the cuts would not affect funding for any existing grant programs.
Full Story: House approves funding for war in Afghanistan – TheHill.com