The Democrats wanted the funding for troops to be connected with a pullout timetable. However, they had to drop that effort or face a veto from US President George W. Bush. On Tuesday, the United States Senate had approved the funds for Iraq.
The funding approval comes as the Pentagon’s quarterly report for Congress explains that United States forces made much progress in Iraq over the last three months. It adds that Iraq is becoming safer.
However, there is caution that the handover to the Iraqis is still lagging and adds that the country’s forces still depend on US troops for both logistics and training. The appropriations bill which is passed on Wednesday totaling to over a half-trillion dollars combines funding for all departments of the government except for defense.
Ever since winning control of Congress in November 2006, Democrats have tried to impose a timetable on an Iraq withdrawal. Complaints about the appropriations bill came from Anti-war Democrats saying that it gave President Bush a blank check for the Iraq War.
According to David Obey, a Democrat from Wisconsin, the only option to change the course in Iraq is to make sure more progressive voices are elected to the US Senate along with electing a president with a different set of priorities.
Republicans say it needed to be passed without anymore delay.
The threat of the veto of the entire budget would’ve paralyzed the government. As a result, the Democrats ended attempts to impose the timetable.