Senate passes $612 billion defense spending bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a $612.5 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2009, including $70 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As passed by the Senate on an 88-8 vote, the bill would authorize $103.9 billion for Pentagon procurement, $1.2 billion more than President George W. Bush's request. Overall, Bush had asked for $611.1 billion for national defense.

The bill shifts more of the costs of Iraq's reconstruction onto Baghdad. It also imposes further restrictions on contractor personnel working in Iraq, including prohibitions on interrogations and the performance of "inherently governmental functions" in combat.

The bill must now be reconciled with the version passed by the House of Representatives on May 22.

The Senate bill also trims Bush's request for spending on missile defense programs.

(Reporting by Jim Wolf; editing by Mohammad Zargham)