WASHINGTON — In a bid to end a months-long budget feud with the White House, congressional Democratic leaders Wednesday agreed not to exceed President Bush's spending limit.
Instead, Democrats drew up plans to boost funding for their priorities, perhaps at the expense of some of the president's initiatives.
But their concession, to trim spending by another $11 billion to meet Bush's $933-billion limit, could clear the way for Congress to complete work on an omnibus spending bill by next week.
The action underscored the restraints on the Democrats, who have narrow majorities in the House and Senate and who face a Republican president steadfast in his threat to use the veto.
The Senate today is expected to approve an energy bill, but only after removing a number of key provisions opposed by the president.
The White House also sounded more conciliatory Wednesday, although it was unclear whether the president would accept the latest budget proposal.
"We are encouraged by reports of movement in the right direction," said Sean Kevelighan, a spokesman for the White House budget office.
"But to know whether there is a bill the president can sign, we need to see details," he said.
One potential complication could be a Democratic effort to provide about $3.5 billion for veterans' programs that could push spending over the limit.
Bush had warned Congress against lumping the remaining spending bills into a catchall measure.
But White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, "We realize that now that the time is running short, they might not be able to get all those bills individually to him before they leave town for the holidays, and so they might have to have an omnibus.
"We'll have to take a look at that," she said.
The bill would roll 11 of the 12 annual spending bills into one package, funding all government agencies except the Pentagon.
Although the fiscal year began Oct. 1, Bush has signed only the $459-billion defense appropriations bill.
Both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have been engaged in a war of words over spending.
Bush has been under pressure from deficit hawks to hold the line on spending.
Democrats, writing their first spending bills since winning control of Congress a year ago, have sought to increase funding for health, education, environmental programs and other domestic priorities they believe were neglected under the Republican majority.
