Why the Iraq funding bill was rejected by House

Murtha also argued that Republicans would have a hard time explaining their votes to the electorate.

“It’ll be very hard for this president to criticize the Democrats when the Republicans voted against this, I mean when they voted present, and they complain they need the bill by June 15,” Murtha said. “Now it may be a problem having it by June 15.”

“It’s irresponsible,” he added. “There’s no money for the troops right now. That’s their problem.”

Will any soldier or Marine suffer for lack of equipment or ammunition due to the vote Thursday?

“No, absolutely not,” said Young,  “This is a process, an ongoing process.”

The House will eventually vote on a Senate-passed funding bill and perhaps go through the same stand-off again.

Eventually once the wrangling ends and after a veto, “There’s no question the money will be available,” said Young.

The House Thursday did pass a Democratic plan to sharply boost education benefits for Iraq-Afghanistan veterans and to award people whose unemployment benefits have expired with a 13-week extension.

The 266-166 fell short of the two-thirds needed to overcome a promised veto by President Bush.

The plan would impose a surtax on individual incomes exceeding $500,000 to pay for the 10-year, $52 billion cost of boosting the GI Bill to provide Iraq veterans with college educations. Couples would pay the tax on income exceeding $1 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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