House Vote On Iraq Bill Expected Wednesday

House and Senate negotiators completed their work on a war-funding bill for Iraq and Afghanistan Monday evening, with a vote in the House expected on Wednesday.

But President Bush has repeatedly vowed to veto the legislation because it contains a goal for withdrawal, so the negotiating session Monday was little more than a political exercise to expedite an ongoing showdown between congressional Democrats and the White House over the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

As expected, the compromise package included a goal for withdrawal that resembles the Senate bill more than the House measure, which included a hard deadline for American soldiers to leave Iraq.

The $120 billion spending bill could reach Bush's desk by Friday.