The House Monday approved a $250.5 billion defense bill providing money for anti-missile defenses and a pay raise for military personnel, and a $21.3 billion measure financing water and energy projects throughout the country.
Both spending bills were approved by overwhelming majorities: The Defense appropriations measure was approved by a vote of 369- 43; the Energy and Water appropriations bill, 389-29.
The brief half-hour debate on the bills and lack of controversy underlined the haste with which Congress is beginning to consider spending legislation for fiscal 1999, which begins Thursday.
The Senate is expected to approve both measures in coming days, as Congress races to complete the 11 spending measures for FY99 that it has yet to send President Clinton.
Only two spending FY99 bills have been shipped so far to the White House. The defense bill contains one dollar in every seven that the government will spend next year, but Clinton and legislators of both parties agree that it is insufficient.
They are working on a separate bill that would include $1.9 billion for U.S. peacekeeping troops in Bosnia and $1 billion or more to beef up training and intelligence operations.
The defense measure would grant troops a 3.6 percent pay raise, and contains $951 million for anti-missile defense research, the Associated Press reported.
It also has funds for projects close to the hearts of Congress' two top leaders. It provides about $500 million for seven C130 cargo planes, one more than the Pentagon requested.
The huge aircraft are built by Lockheed-Martin in Marietta, Ga., just outside the district of House Speaker Gingrich, who believes "our national security depends on the modernization of our airlift fleet," according to a spokeswoman.
And the bill contains $45 million to begin construction of a giant LHD-8 transport ship, to be built at the Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., hometown of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. The Pentagon has proposed refurbishing existing ships instead.
The Energy and Water bill contains $1.4 billion for construction of more than 200 Army Engineer water projects, $600 million more than Clinton requested.
To pay for the difference, the bill would trim administration requests for many Energy Department environmental cleanups and research on solar and other forms of renewable energy.
It also would eliminate all $70 million the Tennessee Valley Authority planned to spend next year for flood control, dam maintenance, and other programs that do not involve electric power.
NEXT STORY: Cohen says readiness is 'fraying'