Congress OKs $80 billion for war

Bills also include funds for homeland security, antiterror efforts

? Congress voted overwhelmingly Thursday to give President Bush about $80 billion for initial costs of the invasion of Iraq and other antiterrorism efforts after thwarting conservatives trying to lash out at Turkey and other nations for hindering the U.S. war effort.

Senators approved their measure 93-0 and the House adopted a similar bill by 414-12, underscoring lawmakers’ resolve to back U.S. forces in the field. The votes put the two chambers on track to send Bush a final package by his deadline of April 11, which would be uncommonly swift for a Congress that received his request for $74.7 billion only a week ago.

Though lawmakers reined in Bush’s request to control most of the funds and added aid for airlines and other items, the vote gave him a welcome victory on Capitol Hill, a week after the Senate voted to cut in half his plan for new tax cuts.

“It’s imperative that we complete this bill … and get the bill on the president’s desk,” said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.

The lopsided votes masked partisan disputes in both chambers over the measures’ funds for security at home. Both bills contained more than $4 billion for securing potential terrorist targets on America’s shores, an amount Democrats said fell billions short.

“As we support men and women in uniform in Iraq, it’s hard to understand how we can underfund the needs of our men and women in uniform in the front lines of homeland defense in America,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said.

Besides domestic security funds, both bills contained more than $62 billion for the Pentagon and roughly $8 billion for aid to countries supporting U.S. efforts overseas. Included was money for replacing satellite-guided munitions and letting state and local agencies bolster security at home.