U.S. congressional leaders are close to finishing work on a compromise budget bill that includes money for the U.S.-led war in Iraq, without a deadline to withdraw the troops.
The $500 billion spending package would include at least $70 billion to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while providing $11 billion more than what President Bush requested for domestic programs favored by Democratic Party representatives.
The agreement on the Iraq war funding represents the latest failed attempt by many congressional Democrats to impose a timeline that would bring U.S. troops out of Iraq. President Bush has adamantly rejected any timelines, and lawmakers in his Republican Party have firmly backed his efforts.
The measure is expected come to a vote in the House of Representatives early next week.
