WASHINGTON — Defying the most serious veto threat since George W. Bush became president, the Senate passed an emergency spending bill Thursday that includes $14 billion more than the White House wanted.
The vast majority of the $109-billion total is designated for military operations in Iraq and hurricane relief on the Gulf Coast -- $66 billion for the war and $29 billion for post-Katrina relief and repairs. The rest of the money, added incrementally as the Senate debated the bill over the last two weeks, is intended for programs that supporters say are crucial and critics deride as "pork."
Senators approved their bill by a strong majority, 77 to 21. The opposition came entirely from Republicans who risked being labeled as voting against the troops to take a stand against what they considered excessive spending.
The Senate action set up a confrontation with the House, which in March passed a bill that came in below the $94.5-billion limit set by Bush.
"This emergency spending should have been focused on supporting our brave troops and the urgent needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). "Instead, every Democrat and many Republicans proved they care more about pet projects than the future of our children and grandchildren."
But supporters said the projects in the bill -- including $37 million to repair the levee system along the Sacramento River -- were pressing enough to warrant inclusion.
"If we find provisions that shouldn't be in the bill, we'll consider taking them out," Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said after the vote. "[But] this is the will of the Senate, and we'll defend it."
House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) vowed to cut the Senate version down when members of the two chambers negotiate a joint bill.
"The House will not take up an emergency supplemental spending bill for Katrina and the war in Iraq that spends one dollar more than what the president asked for. Period," Boehner said.
The White House said Bush's veto threat still stood, and 35 senators -- one more than needed to block an effort to override a veto -- sent a letter to the White House vowing to support the president.
"The president has made it very clear he would veto legislation that goes above and beyond what he called for," spokesman Scott McClellan said.
