The United States Congress has approved emergency spending of nearly $80bn, which had been requested by President George W Bush to finance the war in Iraq.
Some of the money will also be used to reward key allies, to improve anti-terrorism efforts and to help struggling airlines. The airline aid was pushed through by the Senate, against the wishes of the White House.
The Senate approved its supplementary budget amendments unanimously while the House of Representatives passed the bill by 414 to 12.
The House of Representatives version includes a section prohibiting France, Germany, Russia and Syria from taking part in US-funded reconstruction bids in post-war Iraq.
Proposed by Republican congressman Mark Kennedy, the move would even bar the four countries from accessing information about such bids, because of their opposition to the US-led war.
The two versions will have to be reconciled and approved again by each body before being sent to the White House to be signed by US President George W Bush. As the Senate rejected a measure similar to the Kennedy amendment, it is unlikely to be included in the final version.
