The panel also approved a $29.4-billion measure for the new Dept. of Homeland Security, up $536 million or 2%, from this year's total. The amount also is $1 billion higher than the amount President Bush requested for the department.

Within the "mil con" bill, $1.2 billion would go for construction and rehabilitation of military family housing, down from $1.3 billion in 2003, and $4.8 billion would be allotted for barracks, Dept. of Defense health care facilities and other projects, down from $5.6 billion this year.