Emergency war spending fails in House

WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- House Republicans, accusing Democrats of "political games," blocked passage Thursday of a bill to fund military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Democratic leadership had broken the war spending bill into three parts, expecting that Republicans would have little choice but to vote for the appropriations section, the Washington Post reported. Anti-war Democrats rejected that section while voting for measures that set policy limits on the Bush administration and to pay for expanded veterans' benefits as well as unrelated spending.

Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio asked Republicans to vote present, and 131 GOP members followed his lead.

"We're playing political games on the backs of our troops," Boehner said.

President George W. Bush has said he would veto any bill that includes either the policy measures -- a timetable for troop withdrawal and a requirement that Iraq begin funding its own reconstruction -- and the other spending.

The Senate Appropriations Committee released a war spending bill similar to the House one, The Hill reported, including the policy measures and veterans benefits.

The emergency appropriation would bring the total cost of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq to $752 billion, with most of the money spent in Iraq.