House Passes War Supplemental Despite Democratic Resistance

Late Tuesday evening members of the House voted to pass a $59 billion emergency supplemental bill to continue funding the nine-year war in Afghanistan by a vote of 308-114. 102 Democrats voted against the bill, almost three times as many as the number who voted against the same bill last year.

The military will get $37 billion in the bill. That money will be used to fund President Barack Obama’s troop surge in Afghanistan, part of the administration’s new strategy announced last December. It will also fund continued military operations in Iraq, as well as State Department operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly $23 billion will be used to fund domestic programs.

Before the vote took place, Obama urged Congress to swiftly pass the spending bill in order “to ensure that our troops have the resources they need and that we’re able to do what’s necessary for our national security.” The President is expected to sign the bill very soon.

- Alexa Gitler