White House Condemns Baghdad Bombing

Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One today that President Barack Obama condemmned yesterday’s bombing in Iraq that took the lives of dozens of Iraqi army recruits.

There are “obviously still people who want to derail the advances that the Iraqi people have made towards democracy, but they are firmly on track and we’re confident that we’re moving towards the end of our combat mission there,” he added.

Burton told reporters that the attack does not change the President’s commitment to removing all U.S. combat forces from Iraq by the end of the month.

“We’re obviously helping the Iraqi forces to keep that country secure. Our combat mission ends at the end of the month, but we will still have troops there who are helping to support them as necessary.”

House Will Vote On War Supplemental Today

Later today, the House is expcted to hold debate on a $59 billion piece of legislation that would provide funding to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010 would also “provide $24 billion to help keep teachers, police, and firefighters employed during the recession, $13 billion to Vietnam War veterans that have been exposed to Agent Orange, $2.8 billion for Haiti relief, $5.7 billion for PELL grants, $677 million to strengthen the border, $275 million for the Gulf oil spill, and $725 million to offset other needs,” according to OpenCongress.

The Senate passed its version of the appropriations bill earlier this summer, yet struck the nearly $23 billion in domestic spending. It remains to be seen whether the House will vote to pass the slimmed-down Senate version, or whether it will pass the more expensive version, which would then go back to the Senate…