WASHINGTON – Challenging presidential power, a defiant U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Friday to deny President Obama the authority to wage war against Libya. But Republicans fell short in an effort to actually cut off funds for the operation in a constitutional showdown reflecting both political differences and unease over American involvement.

In a repudiation of their commander in chief, House members rejected a measure to authorize the Libya mission for a year while prohibiting U.S. ground forces in the North African nation, a resolution Obama had said he would welcome.

The vote was 295-123 with 70 Democrats abandoning the president just one day after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had made an unusual appeal to rank-and-file members. A Senate committee is to consider the same resolution Tuesday and is expected to support it, raising the prospect of conflicting messages from Congress.

Maine Reps. Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud voted with a minority of Democrats twice, first in voting for the GOP resolution limiting money for the Libya operation and then against a resolution in support of Obama’s Libya policy.

Pingree said, “I don’t want to see Libya turn into another open-ended war with no exit strategy. It’s already cost us $750 million at a time when we budgets are very tight.”

Michaud said that he has “serious reservations about our involvement in Libya, the cost of the operations, and the fact that Congress was not consulted, which is a violation of the War Powers Act. That’s why I opposed an endorsement of the conflict and supported a bill that will limit our operations to prevent mission creep.”

Friday’s votes showed lawmakers’ concerns about an open-ended U.S. commitment to a civil war between Moammar Gadhafi and rebel forces looking to oust him — as well as growing weariness among Americans with drawn-out conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition, the resounding number rejecting the authority resolution was a clear sign of anger toward the president for failing to seek congressional consent for the operation. Republicans and Democrats argued that an arrogant Obama had run roughshod over the Constitution, ignoring the authority of the legislative branch that the founding fathers had insisted has the power to declare war.

While Republican as well as Democratic presidents have often ignored the War Powers Resolution, a frustrated House voted earlier this month to rebuke Obama for failing to provide a “compelling rationale” for the Libyan mission and for launching U.S. military forces without congressional approval.

Obama further incensed lawmakers last week when he said he didn’t need authorization because the operation did not rise to full-blown hostilities, a decision he reached by overruling some of his advisers.

It’s not about Gadhafi, foes of the authorization said.

“I support the removal of the Libyan regime. I support the president’s authority as commander in chief, but when the president chooses to challenge the powers of the Congress I, as speaker of the House, will defend the constitutional authority of the legislature,” said Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

The rejected money-cutoff bill, sponsored by Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla, would have barred drone attacks and airstrikes but allowed the United States to continue actions in support of the NATO-led operation such as intelligence gathering, refueling and reconnaissance. The effort to cut off money was defeated, 238-180.

Supporting Obama, Democrats opposed to the votes argued that they would empower Gadhafi, aggravate NATO allies desperately needed in the fight in Afghanistan and send a dispiriting message to those who led the Arab spring uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere.

They reminded lawmakers of Gadhafi’s role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and said he had American blood on his hands.

The authorization vote marked the first time since 1999 that either chamber had voted against backing a military action. The last time was to limit President Bill Clinton’s authority to use ground forces in Kosovo. There will be no immediate effect on American involvement in the NATO-led mission in Libya.

MaineToday Media Washington Bureau Chief John Riskind contributed to this story.