The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the first binding legislation that sets a deadline for bringing all U.S. combat troops home from Iraq by the end of August 2008.

The vote was 218 - 212. The vote was a major victory for congressional Democrats, and their strongest challenge yet to President Bush. Two House Republicans voted for the measure while 14 Democrats voted against it. One Republican and two Democrats did not vote, while one Democrat voted "present."

After the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was a historic day, and that the new Congress has taken a giant step towards ending the war in Iraq.

The emergency spending bill includes $124 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus more than $20 billion for domestic programs.

President Bush has threatened to veto any bill that imposes conditions on his handling of the Iraq war.

Late Thursday, leaders of an anti-war group of Democrats who had opposed the bill because they want an immediate end to the war said they would no longer stand in the way of passage.

Also on Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund the wars that includes a non-binding March 2008 deadline for withdrawing most U.S. combat forces from Iraq. The full Senate may vote as early as next week on its version of the war funding bill and a deadline for withdrawing troops.