The president also threatened to veto the House plan, approved on a 221 to 205 vote, which only pays for the next two months of the Iraq war's costs.
The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday night to pay for military operations in Iraq on an installment plan, defying President Bush's threat of a second straight veto in a fierce test of wills over the unpopular war.
Congressional leaders and representatives of the White House are putting off tough decisions on the Iraq war until a handful of House and Senate negotiators work out details of a funding bill they'll try to send to President Bush by Memorial Day.
Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives defied President George W. Bush on Thursday and passed an Iraq war funds bill providing only enough money to continue combat for two or three months, without a guarantee of future funding.
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama stepped up his pressure on Republican Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday, arguing voters should urge the Iowa lawmaker to help override President Bush's veto of a bill that would set a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
The president also said he would veto the House plan, approved on a 221 to 205 vote, which only pays for the next two months of the Iraq war's costs.
President Bush expressed optimism Thursday about the future of British policy toward Iraq under Gordon Brown, the apparent successor to Prime Minister Tony Blair, declaring that Brown "understands the consequences of failure."
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, facing growing dissent among Republicans as well as Democrats over the war, said he'll negotiate with Congress on setting benchmarks for progress in Iraq as part of legislation to fund troops.
Prime Minister Tony Blair?s departure will bookmark a decade in which he struggled at home and sacrificed his popularity to the war in Iraq.
The 221-205 roll call Thursday by which the House voted to pay for military operations in Iraq in two installments, the first covering costs only until Aug. 1.