WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, broke away from the Democrats and voted against an Iraq war spending bill Friday that contained a September 2008 deadline for bringing American troops home from the Middle East.

The bill passed 218-212, with 14 Democrats voting against it. Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop, both R-Utah, also voted against the bill.

"The supplemental war spending bill includes language that, in my view, will compromise the safety of our troops on the ground," Matheson said. "I have been outspoken in my opposition to putting a date certain for troop withdrawal in the public debate."

President Bush said he will veto the bill.

Bishop pointed to the "razor-thin majority" who supported the bill, saying there is no unity in "marching down the road to surrender."

"Thankfully, the Constitution and our system are crafted to prevent terrible pieces of legislation like this from becoming law," Bishop said. "Like most of the 'message bills' the Democrat leadership has passed so far this year, this bill, thankfully, will go nowhere."

Cannon called the bill "shameful, a slap in the face to our fighting men and women in the war on terror. Many Americans are rightfully growing impatient for visible progress in Iraq, but they also understand that we must win," Cannon said. "In fact, setting an arbitrary deadline for raising a white flag is so ill-advised that I have to believe many of those who voted 'yea' did so only because they know the Senate is not likely to go along."

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