The House of Representatives departed from its usually partisan caviling on Friday and approved a 2011 intelligence authorization bill that increases spending for 16 intelligence agencies, but at a lower level than requested by President Obama. The amount of the increase is classified but is reported to be substantial.

The bill, which passed on a 392-to-15 vote (3 Republicans and 12 Democrats voted against it) cuts unclassified intelligence programs by $47 million, was also used as a vehicle to congratulate the people and agencies that helped discover and kill Osama bin Laden though an amendment. That event helped push the overall bill to an easy bipartisan legislative victory.

Among various amendments that passed was one offered by Representative John Carney, a Democrat from Delaware and frequent train rider, that earmarks rail security as a priority for intelligence agencies. With the support of 40 Republicans, and the amendment was approved 221 to 189, the first amendment offered by a freshman Democrat to pass the House in this Congress.