WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a plan to screen nearly all cargo entering the country for potential substances of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by next year.

    The plan, passed on a 421-2 vote, followed months of congressional debate on how to tighten the nation's 140 seaports against terror threats without curbing commerce.

    However, the Bush administration had warned that it may not have enough funds to install detectors for nuclear, biological and other WMD substances at all 22 major seaports by next year as the House legislation requires.

    At present, only 6 percent of the 11 million cargo containers entering U.S. seaports annually are opened for check. Enditem