U.S. House Approves $649 bln Defense Budget

U.S. House approves $649 bln for defense in 2012 -- Reuters

* Pentagon primary budget is $18 billion more than 2011
* $119 included for Afghanistan, Iraq wars
* Effort to eliminate Afghanistan combat funding defeated

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - A $649 billion defense spending bill for next year easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday after four days of debate in which war-weary lawmakers sought to curb President Barack Obama's combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya.

The measure, approved 336-87 in the Republican-dominated House, would raise the Pentagon's base budget for the 2012 fiscal year beginning on Oct. 1 by about $17 billion over current levels, despite intense pressure to slash the $1.4 trillion U.S. deficit.

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