
The US congress has approved a bill committing an extra $70 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The bill passed on Friday night brings the amount spent by the US on the wars and other military operations to $507 billion since September 11.
Congress also passed other legislation dealing with national defence, internal security and illegal immigration.
The approval of extra funding comes before the mid-term elections to congress on November 7.
The senate approved the Pentagon budget by a 100-0 vote on Friday.
George Bush, the US president, signed the legislation the same day.
The bill provides $378 billion for core Pentagon programmes, an increase of about 5 per cent.
wage increases for military.
Legislation to convene military trials to prosecute terror suspects was also passed by the house.
However, a programme validating a warrantless wiretapping programme has been postponed until after the mid-term elections.
On Thursday, Republican and Democrat negotiators also agreed on a different defence bill which includes a 2.2 per cent pay rise for the military.
It also set policy on weapons spending and research programmes, considered vital to US national security.
The lower house passed the bill by a bipartisan 398-23 vote on Friday.
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