Brushing aside a presidential veto threat, the Senate on Thursday cleared a $289 billion, five-year farm bill that significantly increases nutrition spending while preserving crop subsidies.

By 81-15, the Senate adopted the conference report on the bill. The House had taken the same step a day earlier, by 318-106.

In both chambers, the votes comfortably exceeded the two-thirds majority of those present and voting that would be required to override a veto by President Bush.

Only a handful of lawmakers even came to the floor to criticize the massive measure, which would reauthorize crop subsidies, tighten income eligibility limits for payments, boost funding for food stamps, expand conservation programs and offer new incentives for alternative energy.

“We’re finally here,” said Senate Agriculture Committee ranking Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, of the nearly 18-month effort to rewrite farm policy. Progress was slowed by pay-as-you-go budget rule complications and by political infighting.

“Negotiations on our side have been extremely difficult and at times very emotional,” Chambliss said.

“We don’t often have an opportunity to celebrate on the Senate floor,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., congratulating Chambliss, Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin , D-Iowa, and others who worked for months to reach a deal. “This is a tremendously important piece of legislation. There was true bipartisanship. ... This is how we should legislate.”

The bill could reach Bush’s desk early next week, after the measure is enrolled and the president returns from his Middle East trip. Bush has said over and over that the bill doesn’t do enough to trim subsidies, reduce the cost of farm programs and address trade complaints by other nations about unfair U.S. agriculture subsidies.