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Democrats giving way on war funds in domestic swap

By Times Wires
Published December 8, 2007

WASHINGTON - Congressional leaders are assembling a $500-billion plan to try to resolve a stubborn impasse by providing President Bush with unfettered money for the Iraq war in exchange for new spending on popular domestic programs.

If acceptable to lawmakers and the White House, the plan to be considered in the House as early as Tuesday would avert the threat of a shutdown of federal agencies and end a monthslong dispute that has pitted congressional Democrats against Bush and his Republican allies.

Senior lawmakers and congressional aides said the broad outlines of the proposal called for the House to consider $30-billion for military operations in Afghanistan, as well as funds for military bases and support programs for military family to quiet fears of Pentagon layoffs because of a lack of money.

The Senate would then add up to $40-billion for Iraq combat operations, with the expectation that the final war spending total would produce enough Republican support to offset defections by House Democrats.

After the measure returns to the House for a final vote, Democrats opposed to the war are likely to vote against it but may not be able to stop it.

The decision to free some money for the war without a deadline or goal for withdrawal would represent a major concession by Democrats. They had earlier said they would not send Bush any more war money this year unless he accepted a change in Iraq policy.

But Democratic leaders now say they have concluded that a logjam of 11 appropriations bills cannot be broken without acceding to at least some of the president's demand for more war money.

"One way or another, there, I believe, will be bridge funding provided, and should be," Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Friday, referring to money to pay for combat into early 2008.

Under the Democratic plan described by senior aides, the Iraq money would be voted on separately, to allow lawmakers opposed to the war to add money for health care, education, home heating programs, border enforcement and other initiatives.

Senior officials said the details were constantly shifting as House committee leaders assembled the bill and there was no certainty that the entire package would not collapse.

Energy effort stalls

Democratic leaders in the Senate are planning a vote on a retooled energy bill late next week after they failed to muster support Friday to prevent a filibuster of ambitious legislation passed by the House on Thursday.

A new version of the bill will probably scale back some elements of the House's tax plan and jettison a requirement that electric utilities use renewable energy for 15 percent of their power generation, but a White House veto threat citing a broad range of objections continued to cast uncertainty over the legislation.

The Senate voted 53 to 42 Friday to close debate, falling short of the 60 votes needed to permit a vote on passage even though four Democratic presidential candidates rushed back from the campaign trail to bolster the measure's chances. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson voted to close debate; Sen. Mel Martinez did not vote.

[Last modified December 8, 2007, 01:14:38]