Senate joins House in passing defense authorization measure

The Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a bill authorizing $393 billion in fiscal defense programs that lawmakers said will give the military the support it needs to keep fighting the war on terror while preparing for a possible invasion of Iraq.

The bill was approved by voice vote one day after a lengthy dispute over retirement benefits for disabled veterans ended in a compromise by House and Senate negotiators, the Associated Press reported. The bill was quickly approved by the House Tuesday evening and now goes to the White House, where President Bush is expected to sign it.

It is about 15 percent higher than the 2002 bill. It includes a minimum 4.1 percent pay raise for personnel, $10 billion for fighting the war on terrorism and $5.2 billion requested by the Defense Department for the F-22 stealth fighter.

"This bill will provide our men and women in uniform with the tools they need and the pay and benefits they deserve," said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich.

The veterans benefits compromise angered the American Legion and other groups that wanted to eliminate a 19th century law reducing retirement benefits of disabled veterans by the amount they are receiving in disability pay.

Both the House and Senate, in their earlier, separate versions of the bill, had voted to give disabled veterans their full benefits.