Both House and Senate Appropriations committees unanimously passed emergency funding bills exceeding the White House request on Tuesday: The Senate version totaled some 78.7 billion dollars, while the House bill was for 77.9 billion dollars.

At a press briefing Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, said the Senate would consider the "supplemental" funding request, as well as proposed amendments to the legislation, in a "thorough" but "concise" way.

"We need to finish things as quickly as possible to make sure the money gets to our troops," Frist said.

At a separate press briefing Wednesday, the leader of Senate Democrats, Tom Daschle, said there was little disagreement between the two parties about the need for the war funds.

"We said since the conflict began that we would support our troops and put party differences aside," the Senate minority leader said.

"The troops deserve our support."

Both committees tacked on various amendments, including billions of dollars in aid for struggling US airlines, which are coping with an economic downturn made even worse by the Iraq war.

The House panel approved 3.2 billion dollars for the airlines; the Senate, 2.7 billion dollars in direct aid and 800 million for "war insurance."

The full Senate and House now must each separately approve the legislation. The two versions will then have to be reconciled and approved again by each body before being sent to the White House to be signed by US President George W. Bush.

The White House said that the aid packages that two congressional committees have approved for struggling US airlines are too high.

"The amounts they have passed we believe are excessive," said spokesman Ari Fleischer, who told reporters that the administration "does not oppose some assistance" for ailing air carriers.

The White House has asked lawmakers to approve the war chest before Congress adjourns for spring recess on April 11.

SPACE.WIRE