Bush threatens to veto war funding measure

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The Bush administration said it would veto a spending measure presented by congressional Democrats despite inclusion of $70 billion in Iraq war funds.

The proposed $500 billion spending plan includes roughly $11 billion more in domestic spending measures than the Bush administration requested, provoking the ire of the director of the Office of Management and Budget, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

"If Congress insists on sending the president a budget-busting bill they know he will veto and that will not become law, they should also pass a continuing resolution that keeps the government running and provides the troops in the field the funds they need," OMB Director Jim Nussle said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued a joint statement calling the veto threat "reckless."

"America expects this president to lead -- that means working in a bipartisan way with Congress to responsibly address our country's priorities rather than issuing veto threats without even knowing what he is threatening to veto," the joint statement read.

Congress and the White House passed just one of the 12 annual spending measures to fund the federal government in fiscal 2008, the Post said.

A resolution keeping the federal government running expires Friday.