House approves foreign aid, veterans bills

The House passed three suspension bills on Sunday evening, one dealing with foreign aid, and the others related to veterans.

Members passed these bills in three roll call votes that started just after 6:30 p.m., after a debate on these and several other suspension bills. Votes on the others could come later in the week.

In a 390-0 vote, the House passed H.R. 3159, the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act. The bill requires the government to set goals for foreign aid, and comes amid growing questions about whether U.S. foreign aid is advancing U.S. interests.

The House also passed H.R. 4057, the Improving Transparency of Education Opportunities for Veterans Act, in a 392-3 vote. The bill would require  require the Veterans' Administration to make sure veterans have the information they need to make decisions about pursuing higher education.

Finally, the House passed S. 3202, the Dignified Burial of Veterans Act, which would let Veterans Affairs provide burial caskets for deceased veterans with no identifiable next of kin. Members passed this bill 393-0.

All three were suspension bills, which means a two-thirds majority vote was needed for passage. All three go to the White House for President Obama's signature.

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