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 With Bush promising to veto a $151 billion bill for education, health and labor programs, Democrats tied the spending to a $65 billion measure for veterans' programs and military base construction.
Democrats had sparked a furor this week by signaling they would toss in the Pentagon budget as well
-- threatening what Bush termed a "three-bill pileup." They drew back after objections from Republicans.
The move is aimed at winning a few additional votes for the education and health measure. It offers increases, long sought by Democrats and many Republicans, for community health centers, education, health research and grants to community action groups that help the poor.
Republicans and the White House objected to the maneuver and said it was a ploy to pin billions of dollars in new spending on the backs of veterans. They promised to sustain Bush's promised veto.
Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., orchestrated the move from his post as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He said it actually was a step back from a confrontation because Democrats held off on plans to also add the $459 billion nonwar Pentagon budget.
The White House is pushing for Congress to pass each of the 12 annual appropriations bills, for the budget year that began Oct. 1, as separate measures for Bush to sign or veto.
This demand, if met, would increase Bush's advantage because he could sign the bills he likes and play hardball on those he does not.
"We do not feel an obligation to make the president's desire to cherry-pick as easy as possible," Obey said.
Democrats say Bush never objected to catchall spending bills when his GOP allies controlled Congress, nor did he veto any during that time.
As it turns out, the GOP holds the advantage. Senate rule changes this year give Republicans the power to split the veterans' money from the overall labor and health bill when it comes to the full Senate.
Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Republicans had not decided whether they would do so.
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 The White House has refused to negotiate a compromise with majority Democrats over the $23 billion they want to spend above Bush's $932 billion request for the agency budgets passed by Congress each year.
Democrats long have fought for spending increases in the labor, health and education measure, which is the largest domestic spending bill. By contrast, Bush's budget sought almost $4 billion in cuts from 2007 spending levels.
Many increases in the education, labor and health measure reverse those cuts while adding 4 percent over last year's levels. The Education Department would get a 6 percent increase instead of the 2 percent cut sought by Bush.
Democrats also have backed big increases for veterans. Lawmakers added $3.4 billion in February for veterans' medical programs and $1.8 billion in May as part of a war spending bill.
The current veterans' measure boosts spending to $43.1 billion, $3.7 billion more than Bush requested. Money for construction projects at military bases and to put in place a round of base closings would rise by $8.4 billion, to $21.5 billion.
Democrats appear to hope adding the veterans' money to the education and health measure might secure enough votes to override Bush's promised veto. The education and health measure fell just short this summer of the two-thirds margin that would be required to override a veto; the veterans' bill passed 409-2.
"Our bill is ready to go. The president has said he'll sign it," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, top Republican on the veterans' spending panel.
Bush opposes the increases to the veterans' budget. The White House initially signaled a veto threat before backing off when warned by Republicans that a would be overridden.
[Associated Press; By ANDREW TAYLOR]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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