The House has approved, on a vote of 276-140, a measure to finance the Department of 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ in fiscal 2008.
The bill, approved July 19, was largely similar to a measure approved by the House Appropriations Committee last month, but included an additional $50 million for students in special education.
With that added money, the bill would provide more than $11.3 billion in grants to states to pay for special education, a 4.6 percent increase over fiscal 2007 levels. The measure would provide the 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ Department with about $62 billion for discretionary spending, a 7.8 percent increase, in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
The White House has issued a veto threat for the spending bill, saying that it is too far above his request for the bill that covers Labor, Health and Human Services, and 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ department programs. The administration requested $56 billion for the 91ÖÆƬ³§ÊÓƵ Department for fiscal 2008.
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