NEWYORK, N.Y. - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she was not trying to usurp the president's power by conducting foreign policy with Syria.

In an NBC-TV interview, Pelosi touched on criticism from U.S. President Bush and others for visiting Syria, describing it as a fact-finding trip with a bipartisan delegation to engage in dialogue.

On the matter of Iraq, where the president has threatened a veto if the military appropriations bill has a troop withdrawal date, Pelosi admited the House does not have the votes to reject a veto but said she hopes there can be a resolution.

"We are a reflection of the majority view in our country and I would hope that the president would understand that that's where the Congress

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