Washington ? In a victory for President Bush and credit-card companies, the Senate approved a controversial bill Thursday that would force more Americans filing for bankruptcy to pay back a portion of their debt.

The Senate passed the measure 74-25 despite sharp criticism from opponents who said it would put a greater hardship on people forced into bankruptcy because of the loss of a job, illness or divorce.

Critics also said it likely would keep debtors in bankruptcy for longer periods than in the past while allowing high-income earners to continue to shield such assets as trust funds and expensive homes in states with large homestead exemptions, such as Texas and Florida.

The House is expected to give swift approval to the legislation, considered the most extensive overhaul of bankruptcy laws in 25 years.

Bush praised the bipartisan vote: “By reforming the system with this common-sense approach, more Americans — especially lower-income Americans — will have greater access to credit.”

Senate passage capped an eight-year effort by financial interests to toughen bankruptcy statutes. They see the legislation as a way to crack down on alleged abuse of the bankruptcy system by people who pile up large debts and expect them to be virtually written off in bankruptcy court.

If the measure becomes law as expected, many Americans who file for bankruptcy protection against their creditors will be unable to wipe out medical bills, credit card debt, automobile loans and other debt as they would have been able to do now.

According to experts, the typical bankruptcy filer is a middle-class person who gets into financial trouble through debt over-extension caused by unemployment, illness or — particularly in the case of women — divorce.