By Josh Rogin, CQ Staff

When the Senate takes up the war supplemental spending bill this week, it will immediately consider replacing the contents of a House-passed bill with amendments the Senate Appropriations Committee approved last week.

The bill is expected to be structured as two separate amendments to the unfinished fiscal 2008 Military Construction-VA appropriations bill (HR 2642): one for war money and war policy provisions, and one for domestic spending plus an expansion of GI Bill education benefits, a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits and language that would block the administration from implementing seven Medicaid regulations that would shift some costs to the states.

But to avoid a filibuster, amendment supporters may need 60 votes. Should the amendments fail, it is unclear what would happen next.

Republican strategy is uncertain. The GOP may not choose to filibuster the war-related portion of the bill because some say they want to expedite final action on the bill — and a certain veto by President Bush.

Some Republican lawmakers appear to be looking forward to a veto, after which they hope Congress would take up a war spending bill more in line with the original White House request.

GOP aides said that Republicans regard the fight over add-ons to the war funding bill as a replay of Bush’s successful fight last year to enforce a discretionary spending cap on an omnibus funding bill enacted in December (PL 110-161).

“There’s just that feeling in the air that we all know where this is headed, and that’s probably a veto,” said a Senate GOP aide.

Floor debate on the spending bill could begin as soon as Tuesday.

Senate Begins Its Debate

Democratic leaders plan to offer a bill that matches the structure of the House-passed bill.

The House bill would set a Dec. 31, 2009, goal for withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, require any agreement between the United States and Iraq committing U.S. forces to be specifically authorized by Congress, and mandate that Iraq’s government match dollar-for-dollar U.S. reconstruction aid to that country.

In addition, the House measure would greatly expand GI Bill educational benefits for veterans, extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks beyond the normal 26 weeks and suspend implementation of the seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration.

Democrats split the bill in order to allow members opposed to the Iraq War to vote against providing more funding — but for a timeline to withdraw troops as well as for the domestic items.