WASHINGTON — Senators blocked further action on two competing spending bills for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan yesterday because of disputes over a timeline for troop withdrawal.

The action, which Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned could lead to furloughs of some civilian employees and contractors, came as the Senate prepared to join the House on a two-week Thanksgiving recess until Dec. 4.

Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka, both Hawai'i Democrats, backed an unsuccessful Democratic bill that would have provided $50 billion for the wars, but only if President Bush began pulling out troops within a month.

Earlier, the two senators voted for a successful effort to block a $70 billion Republican proposal to fund the wars, without the withdrawal provisions and other policy changes demanded by Democrats.

"The votes Friday in the Senate demonstrated that even though the public does not support the president's war in Iraq, Republican senators have been very supportive, even to the point of not demanding accountability from the administration," Inouye said.

Inouye said the Democratic plan, which the House approved 218-203 on Wednesday, offers the best course of action.

The Senate voted 53-45 for the Democratic plan, seven votes short of the 60 needed to bring it up for consideration. The Republican proposal was rejected on a 45-53 vote.

The Senate action came even though Gates warned Thursday that without additional money, he would have to begin sending out furlough notices in mid-December in anticipation of laying off about 100,000 government employees and civilian contractors at Army and Marine Corps bases beginning in mid-February.

That could affect workers at bases in Hawai'i, such as Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks and Marine Corps Base Hawai'i in Kane'ohe.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said that a $459 billion defense spending bill for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 was signed into law Tuesday and some of that money could be used to temporarily finance the wars.

"We met with Gates," Reid said after yesterday's vote. "He said the Army is going to be just fine until the end of February. The Marines are OK until the middle of March."

But Gates said during Thursday's Defense Department briefing that the Pentagon has limited flexibility to transfer money and could move only about $3.7 billion — a little over one week's worth of war expenses.

Gates warned that if Congress doesn't provide more money this week, he will have to take other steps: "First, submit an urgent reprogramming request to Congress," he said. "And second, direct the Army and Marine Corps to develop a plan to furlough employees, terminate contracts and prepare bases for reduced operations."

Both the House-passed Democratic bill and the Republican bill would supply only a portion of the $196.4 billion that Bush requested for the wars this year.

The Democratic bill sets a goal for most troops to be withdrawn from Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008. It also includes other policy requirements — which Bush could set aside under certain conditions outlined in the bill — such as prohibiting torture and requiring troops to be fully trained and equipped before being sent to Iraq.

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.