WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday approved a resolution against President George W. Bush's plan to boost American troop levels in Iraq, one day after the president delivered his first State of the Union address to a Democratic-controlled Congress in six years.

    The non-binding resolution, which was passed 12-9 largely along party lines, said increasing U.S. troops in Iraq was "not in the national interest."

    The legislation was not "an attempt to embarrass the president," said Democratic Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the committee.

    "It's an attempt to save the president from making a significant mistake with regard to our policy in Iraq," he said.

    Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska was the only Republican to voted for the measure, and the full Senate was expected to begin debate on it next week.

    In an effort to win more support from Republicans, Biden said changes could be made to the legislation.

    Also on Wednesday, Vice President Dick Cheney said passage of the Senate resolution would not change the White House's new strategy in Iraq, which included sending 21,500 additional American soldiers to Iraq to help quell violence there.

    "It won't stop us," Cheney said in an interview with CNN.

    "But in terms of this effort, the president has made his decision. We've consulted extensively with them. We'll continue to consult with the Congress. But the fact of the matter is, we need to get the job done."

    Bush announced his plan to send 21,500 additional American troops to Iraq on Jan. 10, but the plan has since met strong opposition from Democrats and a growing number of Republicans.

    In his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Bushurged Congress to support his new Iraq strategy.

    "Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work," he said.

    In response to Bush's speech, Democrats said the country needed a new direction on Iraq.

    "We need a new direction. The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military," Democrat Senator Jim Webb said in the party's response to Bush's address.

    Currently there are over 130,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and over 3,000 American troops have been killed since the Iraq war started in March 2003.