WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, voted to override President Bush’s veto of the Iraq Accountability Act, which would have provided full funding to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and established a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush has only used his veto once before, to strike down legislation expanding federal funding for stem cell research.Rep. Markey said, “ With this veto, President Bush has ignored the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support a new direction in Iraq. President Bush seeks a blank check for an open-ended war, but it is clear a congressional check on the Bush Administration’s misguided policy is urgently needed if this war is ever brought to an end. The bill Congress sent the President responded to realities on the ground, and the recommendations of retired generals and military experts . The public realizes that the war in Iraq will not be won militarily but only through political efforts. While President Bush’s veto was not overridden today, Democrats will continue to work to ensure our troops not only receive the resources they need, but also that they return home as soon as possible.”

The final vote for overriding the veto was 222-203, with a two-thirds majority required for passage.