Senate passes first appropriations bill

The Senate Tuesday passed, by an 87-3 vote, the conference report on the $8.5 billion fiscal 1999 Military Construction appropriations bill-making it the first of the 13 1999 appropriations bills to make it through the process.

The House approved the conference report July 29 on a 417-1 vote.

President Clinton is expected to sign the measure, typically one of the smallest and least controversial of the spending bills.