WASHINGTON, D.C. — Even as Congress cut nearly $23 billion from a massive spending bill to overcome a threatened presidential veto, some programs actually received additional funding — including the effort to clean up Puget Sound.

Originally, Congress was going to provide $15 million for cleanup in the current fiscal year. But the bill now heading toward final passage as Congress prepares to recess for the year includes $20 million.

Not all programs important to Washington state were so lucky. A new nationwide program to repair deteriorating logging roads in environmentally sensitive areas was supposed to receive $65 million. Under the revised bill, it will get $39 million.

In Washington state alone, it could cost $300 million during the next 10 years to fix the old Forest Service roads, which are eroding and threatening endangered salmon spawning habitat.

President Bush has threatened to veto the appropriations bills unless Congress complied with his budget request by slicing almost $23 billion. The result was a $515.7 billion, 3,575-page omnibus bill that combines the 11 remaining appropriations bills into a single package.

Though the bill complies with Bush’s bottom line, it reorders some of his priorities, including additional funding for veterans care and border security.

“The president has been there every step of the way with a bully pulpit and a pen ready to veto America’s priorities,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “It’s time that we focus on the needs of the people here at home.”

The bill, which funds every government agency except the Pentagon, passed the House on Monday and was headed for Senate passage by midweek. Differences remain over Iraq War funding.

Congress earlier passed and Bush signed a separate $495 billion Defense Department spending bill.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., chairman of the House interior appropriations subcommittee, said appropriators had to make “difficult choices” as they cut the spending bill.

Dicks’ interior appropriations bill was cut back by nearly $1 billion. While funding for such things as the National Park Service, the National Endowment for the Arts and the national wildlife refuge system were increased, Forest Service and Interior Department construction activities were trimmed $100 million and $395 million was stripped from the Clean Water Revolving Fund.

In general, Washington state emerged from the budget battle pretty much unscathed. All $672 million for construction at the state’s military bases remained intact. Nearly $400 million of that total will be spent at Fort Lewis and the Yakima Firing Range.

Washington also will receive about $25 million in funding to help restore dwindling salmon runs and $1.4 million for the state’s methamphetamine initiative. Mount Rainier National Park will receive almost $3 million for continued construction on the Jackson Visitor Center and to purchase land along the Carbon River.

The mammoth bill also contains language that would delay for one year — until June 2009 — implementation of a rule requiring passports to be shown at all border crossings by people returning to the United States. Implementation of the first phase of the program had swamped the State Department with passport applications, causing a months-long delay in issuing them.

Les Blumenthal covers issues about Washington state from the McClatchy Washington, D.C., bureau. He can be reached at lblumenthal@mcclatchydc.com.