	u s house passes gulf bill despite opposition the u s house of representatives approved a bill that requires the reagan administration to provide congress with a report on its gulf policy but does not place any restrictions on its actions the bill passed winning a necessary two thirds of those voting despite a last minute revolt by an alliance of liberal democrats and conservative republicans who sought to defeat it as a signal that a growing number of legislators oppose president reagan s policies in the region the legislation was passed in the wake of the may th iraqi missile attack on the u s frigate stark in the gulf which killed americans and reagan s decision to protect kuwaiti oil tankers by putting them under u s flags effectively making them american s the legislation supported by congress democratic and republican leader as well as by the administration required defense secretary caspar weinberger to provide a report to congress within seven days of enactment on plans to protect u s wars and flag s in the persian gulf it did not however place any restrictions on the administration as it proceeds to reflag the kuwaiti s and thus has no immediate effect on u s policy the senate was expected to approve the legislation this week the bill would then be sent to reagan for signature supporters of the bill said passage of the bill was only a first step toward a greater congressional involvement in formulating policy but democratic critics said the bill did not ask the administration to address tough policy questions in the report reuter 
