U.S. Senate approval of a supplemental spending bill late Thursday mostly to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the bill contains an amendment allowing the Navy to decommission the Mayport-based aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kenney.

USS John F. Kennedy Commissioned: Sept. 7, 1968 Homeported at Mayport: 1995 Length: 1052.5 feet Height: 23 stories Decks 18 Displacement: Over 80,000 tons Speed: Over 30 knots

The Navy's attempts to retire the JFK were stymied, due to a law championed last year Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. John Warner, R-Va., requiring the Navy to maintain a 12-carrier fleet until six months after the completion of the Quadrennial Defense Review.

Warner has reversed his position and introduced the amendment to the spending bill that would repeal that requirement,paving the way for the JFK to be decommissioned.

In a 92-4 vote, the Senate approved all proposed amendments to the $106.5 billion bill.

The fate of the 38-year-old carrier now rests with the House of Representatives, whose members must give their approval when the two chambers meet in conference to work out the differences between their spending bills.

Final approval still won't happen until the president signs the measure and it becomes law, expected to happen in the next few weeks.