Bush Told War Is Harming The GOP

The House bill, which Bush vowed to veto yesterday, would divide war funding into two installments. The first $43 billion would be released immediately, with new standards for resting, training and equipping troops and a slate of benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet. Bush would be required to submit to Congress by July 13 three reports measuring Iraqi progress on those benchmarks, which of the goals had been met and how many Iraqi combat units are ready to operate on their own. About 10 days later, the House would vote again, first on whether to cut off funding for further combat in Iraq and then on releasing the remaining $53 billion.

But Senate Democrats view that two-month time frame as unrealistic. "It puts the troops on a very short leash in terms of funding, and I don't think we should do that," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl M. Levin (Mich.). After meeting with White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) said: "They have to do what they have to do." Reid said he would wait until after the House vote before deciding on Senate language.

One concern is that the conflicting House and Senate approaches could jeopardize Democrats' goal of delivering a final package to Bush before the Memorial Day recess. Democrats are eager to avoid political pitfalls that could occur if troop funding begins to run out.

Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday that the drawn-out debate over the bill is already forcing the Pentagon to curtail contracts and hiring and to stop funding some programs in order to sustain troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the Senate, Reid -- who has co-sponsored a bill that would end the war within a year -- is seeking to avoid a Republican filibuster by negotiating with McConnell and the White House.

One idea, favored by some senior Senate Democrats, would link benchmarks to a continued U.S. military commitment, requiring Bush to meet strict reporting requirements and to seek waivers for continued U.S. operations, if the Iraqis fall short.

Another proposal, popular with moderate Republicans, would withhold reconstruction aid if the Iraqi government fails to show progress. A third, announced yesterday by Sens. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), would reduce U.S. forces to pre-escalation levels if the benchmarks are not met.

Staff writers Ann Scott Tyson and Peter Baker contributed to this report.