A huge spending measure for health, labor and education programs had yet to clear the Senate.

He sees the military spending measure as his best shot.

The spending measure is expected to gain final passage in the Senate next week.

The bill, actually 11 bills rolled into one, is left over from last year, when Congress did not pass a spending measure.

Legislative leaders say the spending measures would be a top priority of the session.

Each year, lawmakers must pass 13 separate spending measures to keep the government running.

The President has already threatened to veto half a dozen of the spending measures.

They said the $2 billion came from an earlier spending measure and was enough to keep the agency going for a few months.

The 1,052-page spending measure is actually 11 bills rolled into one.

But at the same time they are leery of big new spending measures.