Battles Continue on House GOP Spending Bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives are trying to cut arts funding while Democrats seek to restore family planning and health research funds as the House enters a third day of debate on a sweeping spending bill cleaning up last year's budget mess.

The amendments on arts and health are just a few of the changes being sought in the $1.2 trillion legislation, which funds the Pentagon and the operating budgets of every Cabinet agency and provides $158 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the House canceled $450 million for a costly alternative engine for the Pentagon's next-generation fighter jet. But then lawmakers turned around and approved amendments by Democrats to ease cuts to economic development grants and popular grant programs for local fire departments and for hiring police officers.