Bush Enlists Cabinet Officials In Fight Against New Spending

"I think the Democrats in Congress will do everything they can to avoid a shutdown," said Scott Lilly, senior fellow at the liberal-leaning Center for American Progress and a former staffer on the House Appropriations Committee. "I don't think the White House wants to take that risk. I don't think anyone does."

Still, the standoff will hold up the legislation, and that is something Democrats had long criticized Republicans for when they controlled Congress.

The House completed work on its versions of the spending bills this summer. Votes on the four bills passed by the Senate so far showed Republican senators willing to break with the president.

The Senate Homeland Security bill, which passed by a vote of 89 to 4 before the August recess, includes an additional $3 billion for border security and restores $1.2 billion in administration cuts to emergency preparedness funding. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a military construction and Veterans' Affairs spending bill that exceeded the president's request by $4 billion with additional money for veterans' health care. A $34 billion foreign-operations spending bill, which passed 81 to 12, includes $5.1 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, $1.35 billion for U.N. peacekeeping missions and $460 million for family-planning programs.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed a $106 billion Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill with a vote of 88 to 7. The bill adds $6 billion to the president's request, including $1 billion for bridge upgrades. The housing portion of the bill provides $700 million to help low-income seniors and $75 million for homeless veterans.

"There are far too many returning servicemen and women who come back and are without housing. This [bill] is a start on dealing with this serious problem that I know the VA and HUD are familiar with," said Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.). While most Senate Republicans have been voting for the spending, House GOP leaders say they will back a Bush veto. "Earlier this year, House Republicans pledged to uphold the President's veto of any bill that contains excessive spending. . . . We'll continue to uphold that pledge," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) said in a statement. "Republican-led pro-growth policies have strengthened our economy and placed a balanced budget within reach, and we'll work to ensure those policies stay in place."

Staff researcher Madonna Lebling contributed to this report.