U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday invited lawmakers of both parties to the White House to discuss the impasse on funding the Iraq war, but neither side showed signs of backing down.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters that next week's discussion will just be talks, not "a negotiation," while Democratic House and Senate leaders demanded a meeting without "preconditions."

During remarks to members of the American Legion, Bush repeated his threat to veto any bill that includes a timeline for U.S. troops to leave Iraq.

Both the House and Senate have attached language to legislation calling for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq in 2008 -- the House by the end of August, the Senate by March of that year.

But Bush said he won't accept any bill that includes a timeline for withdrawal.

If he vetoes the bill, which looks certain, the congress will need a two-third majority to overthrow the veto.

Otherwise, the congress will have to draft a new funding bill and send to Bush again.

With neither side willing to back down, an impasse will be a certainty.

Last week, Bush told reporters that without congressional action, the military would begin running short of funds by mid-April.

He blamed the Democrats for the possible delay.

But the bipartisan Congressional Research Service has concluded that the military will have the money to continue fighting through July without additional funding.

In another sign by Democrats that they aren't yielding, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced separate legislation Tuesday aimed at denying most funding for the war

after March.

Source: Xinhua