US parties compromise over Iraq spending bill

Republicans and Democrats alike are claiming victory as Congress moves this week toward passing a final Iraq spending bill that does not order US troops home.

“Democrats have finally conceded defeat in their effort to include mandatory surrender dates in a funding bill for the troops, so forward progress has been made for the first time in this four-month process,” said House Republican leader John Boehner in Washington.

However, as Republicans celebrated, Democrats said the final bill was an example of how far they had been able to push the White House, which initially demanded no restrictions on war funding and opposed the more than $20bn (€14.8bn) in domestic and military spending added by the Democrats.

The estimated $120bn (€89bn) measure would fund about $17b (€12.6bn) in domestic and military-related spending that President George Bush did not request. It would also threaten to withhold reconstruction aid if Baghdad fails to make progress on political and security reforms.

“I think it’s a giant step to begin the end of this war,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat.

Lawmakers were on track to pass legislation that would fund the war until September. Unable to override another presidential veto, Democrats agreed not set a date for US troop withdrawals.

The agreement capped weeks of closed-door negotiations among White House aides and Senate and House Democratic leaders.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Democrats would focus on 2008 defence spending to try to force an end to the conflict.

The House plans to consider the military’s annual budget this July and delay debate on 2008 war funding to September, just as the White House delivers a critical progress report on Iraq.