US Senate defied President Bush's request for aid for Iraq and Afghanistan, passing an amendment to his budget supplement that requires half the 20 billion dollars for Iraqi reconstruction to be in the form of loans. Photo by AFP
The US Senate defied President Bush's request for aid for Iraq and Afghanistan, passing an amendment to his 87 billion dollar budget supplement request that requires half the 20 billion for Iraqi reconstruction to be in the form of loans. Bush and his administration lobbied hard against the amendment, arguing that all 20 billion dollars should be in outright grants. The amendment was adopted by a 51 to 47 vote, with eight Republicans voting in favor and four Democrats against, following a long and impassioned debate that left the outcome hanging until the final moments.