US Congress Takes Up $106 Billion War Funding Bill

JIM ABRAMS

WASHINGTON (AP) — A $106 billion bill to pay for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was headed for a close vote Tuesday in the House of Representatives. Complicating the outcome is that the legislation includes money for poor countries, aid to Pakistan, pandemic flu preparation and government rebates to people who trade in gas-guzzling cars.

The Pentagon has said that without the bill, the Army could start running out of money to pay for the war as early as July. President Barack Obama has pushed for the package, arguing that it is crucial to his efforts to wind down operations in Iraq while boosting personnel and fighting power in Afghanistan.

Anti-war members of Obama's Democratic Party, who are demanding a quicker end to operations in the area, have been a hard sell for backers of the bill.

House Republicans have mobilized in opposition to $5 billion needed to secure a $108 billion U.S. line of credit to the International Monetary Fund to help poor countries deal with the world recession. Obama committed to that amount at a G-20 meeting in London last April.