House votes against military base closings

WASHINGTON – The House broke with the Bush administration over military base closings Thursday, disrupting the otherwise smooth passage of a massive defense bill aimed at securing the nation’s military strength and winning the war in Iraq.

The House voted 259-162 to delay base closings, now set for next year, by two years. Within minutes the White House issued a statement repeating that the defense secretary would recommend the president veto any bill that “weakens, delays or repeals” the base closing authority.

That was one of the few trouble spots before the House voted 391-34 to pass the $422 billion bill that authorizes defense programs for next year and adds $25 billion to pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during the first months. The new budget year begins in October.

Maine Democratic Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud voted in favor of the bill.

There was relatively little debate on Iraq war policy, although earlier in the day President Bush traveled to Capitol Hill to rally Republicans on the war effort and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi criticized what she said was the president’s “incompetence” in leading the nation to war.