Obama's Afghan Troop Surge Clears Congress

The House today sent President Obama a major war-funding increase of $33 billion to pay for his troop surge in Afghanistan, unmoved by the leaking of classified documents that portray a struggling military effort. The House voted 308-114 to approve the spending boost for the additional 30,000 US troops in Afghanistan. Other non-war provisions brought the total bill to nearly $59 billion.

Republicans in Congress still were strongly behind the boost in war spending, but there was unusually strong opposition from members of Obama's own Democratic Party. All but 12 of the "no" votes in the House came from Democrats. "We're told we can't extend unemployment or pay to keep cops on the beat or teachers in the classroom, but we're asked to borrow another $33 billion for nation-building in Afghanistan," said Democratic congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. (More Congress stories.)