WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The U.S. House approved on Thursday a 453.3 billion-US dollar defense spending bill, including 50 billion dollars for American operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    The bill was approved by the Senate Wednesday night after Democrats forced the Republican majority to strip from it a measure allowing oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge, and now went to President George W. Bush for his signature.

    The House passed both its previous version of the defense spending bill early Monday, but had to act on the bill again as its original version contained the oil drilling provision.

    The defense funding bill also contained 29 billion dollars for reconstruction in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast region, and nearly 3.8 billion dollars for preparations for a potential avian flu pandemic. Enditem