Bill to give troops more time at home passes House

The Virginian-Pilot

© August 3, 2007

Last updated: 9:34 PM

WASHINGTON

The House voted Thursday to give U.S. troops guaranteed time at home between deployments to Iraq, the latest challenge to President Bush from Democrats determined to end an unpopular war.

Bush threatened to veto the measure, which passed on a vote of 229-194. Six Republicans broke ranks to support it, and three more voted "present" rather than take a firm position.

House Democrats staged the vote as Defense Secretary Robert Gates became the latest administration official to acknowledge miscalculations about Iraq and a national public opinion poll said support for a troop withdrawal exceeds 60 percent.

The House measure would require that regular military units returning from the war receive at least as much time at home as they spend in Iraq. Reserve units would get a home stay three times as long as they spend in the war zone.

The "dwell time" provisions that cleared the House are nearly identical to a plan championed all summer by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., but blocked on the Senate floor last month by Republicans.

Webb said Thursday he's hopeful the House bill can be steered to passage with a simple majority - 51 votes - rather than the 60 demanded for his plan last month by Senate Republicans.

Senate rules permit unlimited debate on any bill, unless 60 or more senators vote to cut off discussion. The minority party - Republican since January - routinely uses the rule to kill legislation it dislikes by simply extending debate indefinitely and blocking a vote on passage.

Republicans say the bill would be an unconstitutional intrusion on the president's authority as commander in chief.

This story was compiled from reports by staff writer Dale Eisman and The Associated Press.

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I realize that christians and, republicans and the Pres. don't like the idea of giving this break to the troops, but I would like my brother to get the break. But its hard to win against christians who want human blood.

http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=129632&ran=9635