WASHINGTON — The U.S. House failed yesterday to override a veto of a spending bill for education, labor and health programs, putting Hawai'i at risk of losing $157 million slated for special projects in the state.

Those projects include $25 million to build a regional biodefense laboratory, which was expected to play a role in homeland security, and $14.2 million for Native Hawaiian healthcare programs, which provide primary medical care, health education and disease prevention services.

The vetoed bill also contained $46 million for aid to Hawai'i schools with students who are dependents of military members or federal employees, and $34.2 million for Hawaiian education programs for curriculum development, teacher training and recruitment.

Bush vetoed the $150.7 billion spending bill Tuesday for being $9.8 billion more than he requested and for containing more than 2,200 "earmarks" for special projects that totaled nearly $1 billion, according to Bush's message to the House.

Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai'i, said Bush's budget made large cuts in education, healthcare and job training, which Congress restored and expanded.

"His veto threatens healthcare for children and rural communities, economic development and impact aid funding for Hawai'i schools," said Hirono, who voted to override the veto. "Not passing this bill would have a negative impact on the Native Hawaiian community and our state as a whole."

Other funding included $1.5 million for Bishop Museum, $2 million for Hansen's disease treatment and $2.4 million for the remote rural Hawai'i job training project through Maui Community College.

The House voted 277-141 to override the veto, short of the two-thirds majority needed.

"The House vote today ... although unsuccessful, was a matter of meeting our moral obligation to stand up for the interests of the American people," said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, who also voted for the veto override. "I do not know whose interests the president is defending."

The president said the spending on health, education and labor was too wasteful and too expensive, Abercrombie said.

"At the same time, he continues to spend more than $10 billion a month on Iraq, all of it borrowed," Abercrombie said.

The veto fight was only the first round in what is expected to be a major battle between the White House and congressional Democrats over spending amounts and programs for the current fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

Federal government operations, other than regular defense spending, currently are being conducted under legislation that temporarily continues spending at levels similar to those in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30.

At the same time Bush vetoed the labor, health and education bill, he approved a $459.3 billion defense-spending bill.

"Clearly, the president's priority is to fund the Iraq war, not meeting the needs of the American people," Hirono said.

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.