Democratic leaders pushing the bill on behalf of the Obama administration had to overcome an unusual alliance. Antiwar Democrats opposed continued war spending and Republicans condemned $5 billion in the measure to secure a $108 billion US line of credit to the International Monetary Fund for loans to poor countries.
Representative Howard “Buck’’ McKeon, Republican of California and the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee, contended that Democrats were endangering troops by shifting money to create room for a “global bailout loan program.’’
The vote was 226 to 202, with only five Republicans voting for the bill and 32 Democrats opposing it.
House majority leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, unsuccessfully appealed to Republicans for support, saying 80 percent of the package still went to the troops. “Stand up for them,’’ he said.
The Senate could move as early as this week on the legislation, which includes $1 billion to fund government rebates for consumers who trade in their old vehicles for more fuel-efficient models.
The Pentagon has said that without the bill the Army could start running out of war funds as early as July. President Obama has pushed for the package, contending that it is crucial to his efforts to wind down operations in Iraq while boosting personnel and fighting power in Afghan- istan.
Republicans also objected to a decision by House-Senate negotiators to remove a provision prohibiting the release of photos depicting US troops abusing detainees. It was taken out, “at the demands of the fringe left,’’ said House Republican leader John Boehner, Republican of Ohio.
Obama, in negotiating the removal of the provision, guaranteed that he would stop the release of photos showing detainee abuse.
Unable to count on Republicans, Democrats had to appeal to some of the 51 antiwar colleagues who opposed the legis- lation when it was first offered in May. Representative Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, indicated that he wouldn’t change his “no’’ vote. “America has to start taking care of things here at home and we can’t do it by continuing to support wars based on lies,’’ he said.
Hoyer said, “One of the problems is we have some very deep-seated philosophical views that pursuing Afghanistan and Iraq with additional funding is not appropriate.’’
Votes were swayed by other factors, such as the money to fight the flu pandemic and initiate the “cash for clunkers’’ auto program.
Also in the measure is $534 million for 185,000 service members who have had their enlistments involuntarily extended since Sept. 11, 2001. They will receive $500 a month for every month they were held under stop-loss orders.
