MEXICO CITY: Mexico's lower house of Congress on Saturday passed a US$208 billion ( 158 billion) spending bill that would introduce government-funded pensions for the elderly in rural areas, but allocate less funding than proposed to the judiciary and the state oil company.
Congress did not approve some of the most controversial budget cuts sought by President Felipe Calderon, agreeing instead to approve more funds for Mexico's flagship public university.
Additional funding was approved for road-building projects and some social programs.
But some lawmakers warned that budget cuts for the courts would make it harder for Mexico to battle violent crime and drug wars gripping the country.
"The enormous reduction of 4.19 billion pesos (US$385 million, 290 million) in the budget approved by Congress for the judiciary branch will provoke serious instability in law enforcement in this country," said congressman Jose Manuel del Rio, of the leftist opposition Convergence party, in a statement.
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