Congress has approved a federal budget bill that allocates $62.5 million for Native Hawaiian education, housing and healthcare, Hawai'i's congressional delegation said yesterday.

The Senate passed the legislation 81-15 on Wednesday. The House voted 286-140 to approve the bill late last month.

The legislation now goes to President Bush for his signature, Hawai'i's four Democratic representatives in Washington — two in the Senate and two in the House — said in a joint statement.

"I am pleased that Hawai'i's congressional delegation, and the Democratic Party as a whole, came together to preserve vital health and education opportunities for Native Hawaiians," said Sen. Daniel Akaka.

The funds, if signed by Bush, would benefit overall public health in Hawai'i and the state's education infrastructure, Akaka added.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said the bill enabled lawmakers to fund items that were left out of the budget for this fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30.

"Fortunately, we were able to rectify some of the shortcomings of the current budget as it pertains to Native Hawaiian initiatives," Inouye said.

The new bill includes: