US House of Representatives and Senate negotiators have cleared a much-delayed $28.9 billion emergency counter-terrorism spending bill to free up cash for the Pentagon and airport security efforts.
After accepting spending cuts of more than $1.5 billion to satisfy White House objections and avert a threatened veto, the full House and Senate will likely clear the final bill next week and send it to President Bush to be signed into law.
"We need to get this down to the White House just as soon as we can," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Mr Bill Young, a Florida Republican.
The core elements of the package - money for the military, US homeland security efforts and New York's recovery after the Sept. 11 attacks - have enjoyed wide support since Mr Bush initially requested it in March.
But it has been slowed by bitter clashes between the White House, which wants to limit its cost in the face of mounting US budget woes, and lawmakers determined to fund their own spending priorities ahead of November elections.