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Energy and water, homeland security bills advance
The Senate on Thursday approved a bill to basically freeze spending on energy and water projects next year after pouring tens of billions of dollars into them as part of last winter's economic stimulus plan.
The 80-17 vote on the compromise House-Senate plan cleared the measure for President Barack Obama's signature. The bill is just the third of 12 annual spending bills to clear Congress for the 2010 budget year that began Oct. 1.
The popular $33.5 billion measure funds renewable energy research, Army Corps of Engineers water projects, nuclear weapons safety and security and environmental cleanup. That's more than the $33.3 billion a year earlier and less than the $34.4 billion the White House requested.
Across the Capitol, the House approved by a 307-114 vote a $44.1 billion measure funding the Department of Homeland Security. That bill was also a House-Senate compromise that the Senate is expected to clear for Obama next week.