WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 �FFFF97 Pressure mounted on the White House on Wednesday to reshape some U.S. aid to Iraq into a loan as the Senate opened debate on President Bush�FFFF92s $87 billion plan to help that country and Afghanistan
Cli ck he re to st op fur ther mess ages Just as feverishly, administration officials and top congressional Republicans labored to shore up support for Bush�FFFF92s proposal to keep the rebuilding aid as a grant. As a fallback, a search was under way for a formula vague enough to win votes from both grant and loan supporters. But House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, R-Fla., said he has �FFFF93gotten some signals�FFFF94 that the White House might consider a way to make the money �FFFF93a repayable investment.�FFFF94 With Republicans controlling the Senate by just 51-48 �FFFF97 not counting a Democratic-leaning independent �FFFF97 every vote can be crucial. But Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he supports grants and several others were expected to follow suit.
