The US House of Representatives last night narrowly defeated a Democratic amendment to deny funds to operate Vice President Dick Cheney's office next year in a feud over his handling of classified documents.
By a vote of 217-209, the House defeated legislation designed to rebuke Mr Cheney for refusing, over objections by the National Archives, to comply with an executive order that set government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information.
Debate on the measure also gave Democrats another chance to mock Mr Cheney's recent contention that he was exempt from the rule on executive-branch documents because he also serves as president of the Senate, part of legislative branch. He has since stepped back from that argument.
"The vice president must know that no matter what branch of government he may consider himself a part of on any given day or week, he is not above the law," said Representative Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois Democrat.
Further needling Mr Cheney, the amendment would have provided money for him to operate his office in the Senate while denying the nearly $5 million for running the vice president's office and home in Washington.
The Democratic attempt to kill funds for Mr Cheney's vice presidential office and the government-owned mansion he lives in came on the same day President George W. Bush said he would not provide documents being subpoenaed by Democrats in Congress related to the firings of federal prosecutors.
Since Democrats took control of the House and Senate in January, they have mounted several high-profile challenges to Bush administration policies and practices, resulting in friction between the two branches of government.
During the first six years of his presidency, Mr Bush's fellow Republicans controlled Congress and rarely questioned him.