February 11, 2009 4:56 PM
- Text
House Bid To Override Bush Veto Fails
(CBS/AP)
The Democratic-controlled House failed Wednesday to override President Bush's veto of an Iraqi war spending bill with timetables for troop withdrawals. Lawmakers went directly to the White House to talk about a new version.
"Yesterday was a day that highlighted differences," Mr. Bush said. "Today is the day where we can work together to find common ground."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on either side of the president. The Democratic leaders were stone-faced as Mr. Bush made his brief statement. The White House meeting started late, apparently delayed by the failed override attempt.
"I'm confident we can reach agreement," Mr. Bush said.
The 222-203 vote was far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a veto override. Voting to override Bush's veto were 220 Democrats and two Republicans. Voting to sustain the veto were 196 Republicans and seven Democrats.
"The president has turned a tin ear to the wishes of the American people," Pelosi, D-Calif., said during the hour-long debate before the vote. "The president wants a blank check. The Congress will not give it to him."
But Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., urged his colleagues to sustain the veto, saying politicians should not make military decisions.
"Now is not the time for the United States to back down in its war on terror," Lewis said.
Since withdrawal deadlines are a non-starter, Democrats may now get some cooperation from Republicans on benchmarks, ways to gauge Iraqi progress in their country, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
"I'm hopeful that will be where we go because it makes sense to me to have a public document telling the Maliki government: 'Here's what we expect you to accomplish sooner rather than later,'" says Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
But negotiations for a new spending bill could prove difficult. Although both parties agree it should include benchmarks for progress in Iraq, but many Democrats insist they be tied to timelines for U.S. troop withdrawals if they are unmet. Mr. Bush and his congressional allies say such links are unacceptable.
Hours before the House vote sustained the veto, which Mr. Bush had issued Tuesday, the president showed little appetite for compromise.
"I am confident that with goodwill on both sides that we can move beyond political statements and agree on a bill that gives our troops the funds and flexibility to do the job that we asked them to do," he said in a speech in Washington before The Associated General Contractors of America.
Of the original bill pushed through Congress by Democrats, Mr. Bush said: "It didn't make any sense to impose the will of politicians over the recommendations of our military commanders in the field."
Pelosi had told reporters Wednesday: "Benchmarks are important, but they have to have teeth in order to be effective."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said before the vote that he hopes to have a new bill passed in the House in two weeks, with a final measure sent to the president before Memorial Day. "We're not going to leave our troops in harms way . . . without the resources they need," said Hoyer, D-Md.
"Yesterday was a day that highlighted differences," Mr. Bush said. "Today is the day where we can work together to find common ground."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on either side of the president. The Democratic leaders were stone-faced as Mr. Bush made his brief statement. The White House meeting started late, apparently delayed by the failed override attempt.
"I'm confident we can reach agreement," Mr. Bush said.
The 222-203 vote was far short of the two-thirds majority needed for a veto override. Voting to override Bush's veto were 220 Democrats and two Republicans. Voting to sustain the veto were 196 Republicans and seven Democrats.
"The president has turned a tin ear to the wishes of the American people," Pelosi, D-Calif., said during the hour-long debate before the vote. "The president wants a blank check. The Congress will not give it to him."
But Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., urged his colleagues to sustain the veto, saying politicians should not make military decisions.
"Now is not the time for the United States to back down in its war on terror," Lewis said.
Since withdrawal deadlines are a non-starter, Democrats may now get some cooperation from Republicans on benchmarks, ways to gauge Iraqi progress in their country, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.
"I'm hopeful that will be where we go because it makes sense to me to have a public document telling the Maliki government: 'Here's what we expect you to accomplish sooner rather than later,'" says Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
But negotiations for a new spending bill could prove difficult. Although both parties agree it should include benchmarks for progress in Iraq, but many Democrats insist they be tied to timelines for U.S. troop withdrawals if they are unmet. Mr. Bush and his congressional allies say such links are unacceptable.
Hours before the House vote sustained the veto, which Mr. Bush had issued Tuesday, the president showed little appetite for compromise.
"I am confident that with goodwill on both sides that we can move beyond political statements and agree on a bill that gives our troops the funds and flexibility to do the job that we asked them to do," he said in a speech in Washington before The Associated General Contractors of America.
Of the original bill pushed through Congress by Democrats, Mr. Bush said: "It didn't make any sense to impose the will of politicians over the recommendations of our military commanders in the field."
Pelosi had told reporters Wednesday: "Benchmarks are important, but they have to have teeth in order to be effective."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said before the vote that he hopes to have a new bill passed in the House in two weeks, with a final measure sent to the president before Memorial Day. "We're not going to leave our troops in harms way . . . without the resources they need," said Hoyer, D-Md.
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