House Approves Yet Another Withdrawal Measure

A still-divided House approved legislation Thursday to withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by the beginning of next April.

Majority Democrats positioned the vote as another step in what they hope will be a steady erosion of support among congressional Republicans for President Bush's war plan.

The House approved the measure by a largely partyline vote, 223-201, with 10 Democrats breaking from their leaders to oppose the measure and only four Republicans bucking the president to vote for a withdrawal.

Afterward, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised to bring "an array of legislation" to the floor challenging the administration's war policy, including measures to block permanent military bases in Iraq, crack down on corrupt contracting and close the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"The redeployment of our troops is a central element in an effective way forward in Iraq," Pelosi said on the floor. “We will repeat that judgment legislatively as often as necessary, hopefully with an increasing level of support from our Republican colleagues, until pressure from the American people causes the President to change his mind and his policies."

Democrats hoped to capitalize on public fissures in the Senate over war policy between a handful of prominent, moderate Republicans and their president. But the House majority could only garner four GOP votes from Reps. John J. Duncan Jr. of Tennessee, Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri, Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland and Walter Jones of North Carolina - doubling their tally on previous withdrawal votes.

Meanwhile, 10 predominantly conservative Democrats voted against the bill.