Congress passed a massive defense bill Thursday, authorizing $662 billion for military personnel, weapons systems, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and national security programs in the Energy Department for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1.

The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.

According to Fox News:

Pentagon (Creative Commons)

"Sen. John McCain, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said Thursday the cooperation was a 'little ray of sunshine' in a bitterly divided Washington. The comment belied a fierce struggle over provisions on suspected terrorists that have pitted the White House against Congress, divided Republicans and Democrats and drawn the wrath of civil rights groups."

Obama is expected to sign the bill after authors removed language that would have restricted the admin's handling of detained terrorists.

USA Today reported:

"An initial version of the defense bill would have required military custody of terrorist suspects linked to al Qaeda; the administration -- which had threatened to veto the defense bill -- wants to reserve the right for civilian trials of accused terrorists."