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Politics

Bush scores a victory with Peru trade pact

By Times Wires
Published November 9, 2007

WASHINGTON

In a rare victory for President Bush since Democrats took control of Congress, the House approved a free-trade agreement with Peru Thursday in a vote that exposed a rift within the Democratic ranks over the issue. Despite efforts by leading Democrats to persuade a majority of their party to back a deal that included standards to protect workers and the environment, most Democrats nonetheless voted against it, including a number of freshmen who had highlighted job losses and other negative effects of globalization during their campaigns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and 108 other Democrats joined 176 Republicans in approving the measure, 285 to 132.

He also has upper hand on budget

The House approved a big boost in the Pentagon's nonwar budget for Bush's signature, even as a spending bill containing far smaller increases for health and education programs headed toward a certain veto. The confluence of the votes reflected Bush's dominant position in the year-end budget battle pitting the White House against Democrats controlling Congress. The $471-billion defense budget - a 9 percent, $40-billion budget increase - passed the House by a 400-15 vote. The Senate cleared the bill by a voice vote late Thursday. At the same time, House Democrats had little hope of winning a veto-proof margin on the health, education and job training bill.

[Last modified November 9, 2007, 01:30:44]