Washington ? The Senate gave overwhelming approval Thursday to a $416 billion Pentagon spending bill for next year, including a $25 billion down payment for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and extra money for adding 20,000 Army troops and equipment like Chinook helicopters.

The 98-0 vote underscores the election-year consensus between President Bush and both parties in Congress to increase the military’s budget at a time when two wars and efforts to prevent terrorism are taxing the Pentagon’s resources.

“It is a symbol to the country that we’re able to come together in times of crisis,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, the chief author.

Before passage, the Senate added aid for Sudan, assistance to New York and Boston, sites of this summer’s political conventions, and about two dozen projects for lawmakers’ home states. Those included money to buy three airplanes for a college in Montana.

Not counting the funds for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the bill is $22.5 billion, or 6 percent, over this year’s total.

The overall bill provides $1.6 billion less than what Bush requested. Included is $76.5 billion — $1.8 billion more than he wanted — for purchasing weapons and other equipment, plus money for a 3.5 percent military pay raise.

Bush proposed having the power to move the entire $25 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan to whatever war-related accounts he chose.

The Senate bill would give him flexibility to move $2.5 billion of the $25 billion. The rest would be assigned to specific accounts, though some — such as $17.5 billion for operations and maintenance — are still broad enough to give the president much leeway.