FACTBOX: Congress boosts spending on environmental programs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Environmental programs would receive a substantial boost under spending that cleared Congress on Thursday. The bill now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama to sign into law.

Following are some aspects of the bill:

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

* Boosts the Environmental Protection Agency's budget by 26 percent to $10.3 billion.

* Includes $2.1 billion to help local governments upgrade sewer systems and $1.4 billion to improve drinking-water systems. The EPA estimates that $662 billion is needed over the next 10 years for such upgrades.

* Allocates $641 million to protect the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound and other great bodies of water.

* Allocates $1.5 billion to clean up toxic waste sites.

* Boosts funding for climate change programs by 40 percent to $385 million.

STOPGAP FUNDING

* The bill funds the entire government on a temporary basis through December 18 while lawmakers finish up work on other spending bills.

* Most government operations are funded at current levels, with increases for veterans care and census operations.

* Loan limits for U.S.-backed mortgages would remain at the current $729,750 level through the end of 2010. The limit was scheduled to shrink to $625,000 at the end of 2009, a move which would have discouraged mortgage markets.

* Would continue housing vouchers for some 10,000 families who would otherwise lose them if a separate funding bill is not passed soon.

INTERIOR PROGRAMS

* $6.7 billion, an increase of 11 percent, for Native American programs, including healthcare, education and public safety

* $3.5 billion to fight forest fires

* $2.8 billion for other forest management programs

* $2.7 billion for national parks

* $1.1 billion for the Bureau of Land Management, including oil and gas management programs

* $761 million for the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; editing by Todd Eastham)