WASHINGTON — In a resounding break from President Bush, a majority of Senate Republicans joined Democrats on Thursday in approving a war-funding bill that would provide for a major expansion of the World War II-era GI Bill.
The measure must be approved by the House, and the White House has threatened to veto it. But the GOP defections -- followed by a lopsided vote to override Bush's veto of a farm bill -- underscored a growing willingness among Republicans to go their own way as they look ahead to their own reelection campaigns.
The new veterans education benefit also erupted as an issue in the presidential campaign, as Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, exchanged sharp words.
The White House has objected to the billions of dollars in spending included for such things as jobless benefits and energy assistance, which brought the bill's total to about $212 billion, including $165 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This is the wrong way to consider domestic spending, and Congress should not go down this path," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino.
The Pentagon has expressed concern that the new GI benefit, which provides returning troops with a free college education after three years of active duty, could spur retirements at a time when the military is struggling to retain troops.
But lawmakers were eager to show support for the troops before Memorial Day.
Obama and his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, broke off campaigning to return to the Capitol to vote for the GI benefit.
Obama, taking a shot at McCain, said, "I respect Sen. John McCain's service to our country. . . . But I can't understand why he would line up behind the president in opposition to this GI bill."
McCain was attending campaign events in California during the vote but responded in a lengthy statement that Obama had "less than zero understanding" of the issue.
"It is typical, but no less offensive, that Sen. Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent," McCain said. "And I will not accept from Sen. Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did."
Obama later dismissed McCain's attacks as "schoolyard taunts."
