Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) -- House Democrats plan to follow a vote today on a symbolic resolution rejecting President George W. Bush's troop buildup with legislation aimed at directly challenging any additional deployments to Iraq.

The nonbinding resolution to be voted on this afternoon pledges support for U.S. personnel serving ``bravely and honorably in Iraq'' while saying Congress ``disapproves'' of Bush's plan to add more than 20,000 troops to the estimated 132,000 who are trying to curb sectarian violence in Iraq.

The resolution is a preliminary step, according to Democrats such as John Murtha of Pennsylvania, toward adding provisions to spending legislation that will force the administration to cancel the troop increase and begin withdrawing or redeploying U.S. forces in Iraq.

``We have to be careful that people don't think this is the vote,'' Murtha said yesterday in a videotaped message on a Web site operated by the group MoveCongress.org. ``The real vote will come on the legislation we're putting together.''

Murtha, the chairman of a military spending panel, said his committee next month will place conditions on a $93.4 billion war spending measure that will prohibit troops from being sent to the conflict unless they meet standards for training and receive adequate breaks between combat deployments.

Murtha said his legislation ``will force the administration to consider alternatives instead of escalating.''

Republicans such as Nevada's Jon Porter said Democrats will use the resolution as a first step to choking off money for the war. ``This resolution opens the door to cutting funds,'' Porter said.

Debate

After three days of almost non-stop speeches by hundreds of lawmakers, almost all Democrats and at least a dozen Republicans are likely to support the resolution in the first congressional rebuke of a four-year war in which more than 3,000 U.S. military personnel have been killed.

Public support for the war has continued to decline since Bush ordered the invasion in 2003. A majority of Americans --53 percent -- said the U.S. should withdraw from Iraq, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, an increase of five percentage points in the past month.

Thirty-five percent of those questioned in the Feb. 7-11 survey said the U.S. should begin a gradual withdrawal from Iraq during the next year or two, while 16 percent said it should be immediate.

Vietnam

Congress hasn't undertaken such a significant debate on presidential war policy since the Vietnam War, when the Senate concluded seven weeks of debate in 1970 by rescinding the Gulf of Tonkin resolution that authorized U.S. participation in the war.

The resolution's impact was limited. President Richard Nixon said at the time that the fighting in Vietnam wasn't under the auspices of the resolution and U.S. forces remained in Vietnam for five more years.

Democrats overwhelmingly support the resolution on Iraq, saying more U.S. personnel won't settle what they call a civil war.

The president's policy ``sends more of our best and bravest to die refereeing a civil war,'' said Pennsylvania Democrat Patrick Murphy, an Iraq war veteran.

The Wrong Message

Republicans said the measure sends the wrong message to U.S. troops.

``It's symbolic, it's partisan, it's cynical and meaningless,'' said Republican Judy Biggert of Illinois.

Across the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled what he called an ``extraordinary'' Saturday afternoon procedural vote on a resolution that matches the House version.

The Senate has been at an impasse over debating Iraq resolutions because Republicans and Democrats have failed to reach an agreement on which measures would be considered.

Democrats had pushed for a bipartisan resolution that said Congress ``disagrees'' with Bush's proposal, while Republicans pressed for consideration of an alternative that pledges Congress won't ``endanger'' the troops by cutting funds.

Democrats, who control the Senate 51-49, will need the support of 60 senators tomorrow to move ahead with consideration of the House measure. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he is ``confident'' Republicans will prevent its consideration unless there's an agreement to consider their alternative.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 16, 2007 06:43 EST