U.S. House passes CIA contractor ban over veto vow

The Senate Intelligence Committee passed in May its version of the overall bill, which contains a similar ban on CIA interrogation contractors. It also would ban CIA harsh interrogations and require that the Red Cross be granted access to all detainees.

The measure awaits action by the full Senate. Differences between the House and Senate versions would have be resolved before any final measure is passed.

Major funding provisions of the intelligence bill are classified. Last year the the administration bowed to a law ordering disclosure of the annual intelligence budget and said it had spent $43.5 billion in fiscal 2007.