House budget bill aids carmakers, disaster victims

The House has passed a budget bill with $25 billion in loans for automakers and generous help for victims of hurricanes and flooding.

The bills also ends a quarter-century ban on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. And it provides record budgets for the Pentagon and for veterans' health care for veterans.

The House vote was 370-58 Wednesday. The $630 billion-plus measure now goes to the Senate, which is expected to send the legislation to President Bush for his signature.

The spending bill would keep agencies running at current levels through March. That would give Congress time to wrap up lots of unfinished budget work.

…