White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters aboard Air Force One before takeoff from Washington for a New Albany, Ind., lunch and speech, the measure is "not a perfect bill" because it includes unnecessary spending. But she said he signed it because "it is essential to deliver these funds to our military in a time of war."

Bush, however, vetoed an appropriations bill covering labor, health and human services and education because it was nearly $10 billion more than he'd asked for and included 2,000 earmarks.

In his rejection message to the U.S. House of Representatives, Bush said the bill simply "spends too much."

"It exceeds the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012," Bush said, adding the measure funds programs that are "duplicative or ineffective."

"I urge the Congress to send me a fiscally responsible bill that sets priorities. Americans sent us to Washington to achieve results and be good stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars. Because the legislation violates that commitment, I must veto this bill."