The U.S. House of Representatives, by a vote of 397-27, authorized $644 billion for defense spending in fiscal 2008.

The measure includes $483 billion for regular Defense Department programs plus $20 billion for the nuclear weapons programs at the Energy Department as well as military-related programs within the Justice and Homeland Security Departments.

It also includes $141 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, marking the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that this war funding is covered within the regular defense budget.

This money is separate from the $124 billion in supplemental funding for this fiscal year now before Congress. That bill is stalled over President George W. Bush’s objections to language proposing a withdrawal of troops from Iraq. The authorization measure passed today has no mention of withdrawal or of another proposal — setting benchmarks to measure progress in Iraq.