Free Republic

A Senate-passed war funding bill cleared the House Thursday night but only after Democrats added nearly $23 billion in new domestic spending that will require time-consuming negotiations with the Senate before the measure can go to the White House. President Barack Obama escaped without any serious restrictions on his Afghan policy and the Pentagon’s $33 billion request for military operations was upheld on a lopsided 376-25 vote. But a succession of anti-war amendments—pressing Obama to clarify his plans for withdrawal—testified to a growing split between the president and rank-and-file Democrats over the cost of the war at a time of...

House Democrats are preparing to pass an Afghanistan war-spending bill on a party-line vote as Republicans balk at extra provisions the White House wants in the measure. Passing such a spending bill through the lower chamber will be difficult because some anti-war Democrats routinely vote no on war bills. Moreover, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has vowed not to lean on her caucus on this year’s war supplemental after whipping the measure in 2009. House Democratic leaders are planning to take up the package funding President Barack Obama’s troop increase in Afghanistan after it passes the Senate. Senior Democrats in the...