WASHINGTON, MAY 11 (RIA Novosti) - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that will provide funding for American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in two stages.
The bill, which was approved by 221-205 votes late Thursday, will provide the Pentagon with $42.8 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan up to August 1. After that date Congress will need to vote on an additional $52.8 billion, which will depend on the situation in Iraq and the success of U.S. troop operations.
President George W. Bush said earlier that he would not support a two stage approach and if passed he would veto the bill. "We reject the idea. It won't work," he said at a meeting with the top military Thursday.
Bush already vetoed the first bill approved by Congress in late April, which linked $124 billion funding to the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, calling it "unacceptable."
