05/22/2008

Associated Press

A war-spending bill approved by the Senate includes $400 million in payments to rural counties in Oregon and other states.

The bill to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan includes money for a number of domestic priorities, including payments to rural areas that once depended on federal timber money to pay for schools, libraries and other services.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden says the funding could not come soon enough for Oregon's rural schools and communities, which depend on it for basic servic es.

The House still has to act on the bill. Last week, the House voted to reject money for continuing the war.