US Senate passes war funding measure

The US Senate approved a 37-billion-dollar funding measure that would pay for the expenses in Afghanistan and Pakistan, sending it for President Barack Obama's signature. Four billion dollars have also been allocated for the assistance of civil governments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.The House of Representatives approved the measure with a 308 to 114 vote. It passed the Senate earlier. In the measure, about 33 billion is earmarked to pay for the 30,000 troops surge in Afghanistan and expenses in Iraq. Provisions not related to the war brought the bill total to nearly 59 billion.It is pertinent to note that the new funding is on top of the 130 billion Congress already approved for Afghanistan and Iraq this year. The Congress has appropriated over 1 trillion dollars for the two unpopular wars since 2001.Opponents of the bill are mostly Democrats, who have stalled it for months. Over 100 of them voted against it, while Republicans supported it.