US Senate approves 9/11 bill

WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 60 to 38 approved a sweeping homeland security bill meant to shore up US defenses against future terror attack.   

But the measure faces a veto threat from US President George W. Bush, who objects to the bill's collective bargaining provision for airport screeners.   

The bill enacts numerous recommendations of the blue ribbon September 11 panel, which examined the causes of the 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington in its 2004 report.   

Democratic lawmakers criticized Bush and his Republican allies for failing to adopt many of the commission's recommendations and had promised to implement the measures after having won a majority in the US Congress in last November's legislative elections.    

The Senate legislation now must be reconciled with a House bill which contains similar bargaining rights protections.