Bill to provide $2.6 billion in flood relief for the Midwest

An agreement reached between House Democrats and Republicans and the White House -- if passed into law as expected -- would provide $2.6 billion in additional disaster aid to replenish accounts already being tapped to deal with the flooding across the Midwest.

The money is part of the long-stalled Iraq war funding bill. President Bush would win $162 billion in long-overdue funding to carry out military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan into next year under the bipartisan agreement sealed Wednesday on Capitol Hill. The House is expected to vote on the bill today.

The bill also contains $5.8 billion sought by Bush for next year to build levees and other flood control projects around New Orleans.