Members milled and chatted; a few had brought their children into the chamber to witness history. On the board, glowing red, the yeas stood at 210, 211, and in the final seconds, spun up to 218. A vote, Democrats hope, to start the countdown on a war that Pelosi moments before called a "grotesque mistake."

Turning toward Republicans during her remarks, the California Democrat told them: "The American people do not support a war without end. And neither should this Congress."

Still, within her party there was ambivalence and some outright opposition from those who most disapprove of the war and wanted more direct confrontation with President Bush. Liberals pledged to deliver the votes needed to pass the supplemental measure, and they did. Four California Democrats — Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, Diane Watson and Lynn Woolsey — said they "could not stand in the way" of the bill but were voting no.

"The debate on this supplemental appropriation has been heart-wrenching," Waters said in a statement. "While we respect the decision of our colleagues who will support this legislation, those of us who believe that this is a vote of conscience will remain steadfast in our opposition."

Yesterday morning, some liberals who had agreed to back the bill conducted street-corner diplomacy with protesters on the sidewalk. Melissa Byrne of Northwest Washington, in a black-and-pink Code Pink T-shirt, said several liberal Democrats, including Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.) and Woolsey had convinced her that "politics is taking what's possible — and making it better."

In all, 14 Democrats voted against the bill, many of them conservative "Blue Dogs" such as Rep. John Barrow (Ga.). "What I could not support in the bill was the mandatory timeline for withdrawal," he said in a statement. "That's no way to fight a war."

Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.), an Iraq war veteran elected in November who was Pelosi's point man in the debate, drew a standing, stomping ovation by saying that freshmen like him "were elected a few months ago on the promise of new leadership, and that's what this bill does. . . . This is our opportunity . . . our chance to lead."

As the voting started, a protester in the gallery leapt up, shouted "Don't buy this war!" and was hustled out by police. Within minutes, the vote that was over before it began had been tallied.