The U.S. House of Representatives ignored a White House veto threat and passed on Friday a foreign aid bill which includes some disputed points. The $34.2 billion foreign aid bill for the fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1 was passed by the House in a vote of 241-178.
The Senate has not yet debated the bill, Reuters reported.
The House bill contains a controversial initiative of withholding $200 million in military funds for Egypt until Cairo shows it is improving human rights abuses and is stopping weapons smuggling from Egypt to Gaza Strip. The House bill also reiterates that no U.S. funds can be directed to Hamas, which is engaged in a battle with Fatah for control of the Palestinian Authority.
It also would bar U.S. diplomatic operations in Libya until Tripoli pays off families of those killed in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.
While the bill denies Bush's request for more economic aid to Iraq, it would spend $1 million to finance a second Iraq Study Group evaluation of the country, where U.S. forces have been fighting since 2003.
