Seems to me, and my memory, That the US officially and openly supported the regime of Saddam Hussein against Iran, to ensure stability in the Middle East. I don't remember if this was at the time of the Iran/Iraq War, or slightly before, or after. I don't remember if it was voted on.
If the support of Saddam was done officially, then voting was done and plans and decisions were known.
We are talking the difference here being a few politicians acting on their own and sneaking monies without approval. And I contented that the monies were taken to support a known enemy of the States since militant Islam had already attack US interests up to this point (students taking embassey, M.E. Bureau for our CIA, 241 US Marines were killed by a homicide boomer in Beirut, etc.)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1489385/posts
My Enemy's Enemy by George Crile