The delay is caused, in part, by a partisan battle over how much extra money the military and other agencies need in the 2002 budget year, which began Oct. 1.

Democrats want to boost many agencies' budgets, including the Pentagon's. And they intend to use the Defense Department's $318 billion spending bill as a vehicle for the new allocations.

House members are set to take up the Pentagon's bill next week.

Its prospects for passage are complicated by two factors. First, there's the Democrats' demand for additional spending. Secondly, lawmakers will be asked to approve President Bush's plans for spending $20 billion of the $40 billion in emergency money Congress approved shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks -- when hijackers used commercial airliners to take down the World Trade Center and damage the Pentagon.

Democrats concerned that Bush has not targeted that $20 billion appropriately will try to force House members into approving another $7 billion. The extra money, Democrats say, is needed for homeland security and other programs not funded by President Bush's requests.

John Scofield, spokesman for the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged that many federal agencies are in need of additional funds to help protect the public against another terrorist attack. But he said now is not the time to push for more money.

"We can deal with them in the spring or next fall. This dispute is over timing," Scofield said.

But Democrats don't agree. They say any delay in funding would hurt federal anti-terrorism preparations, from stockpiling vaccines to protecting nuclear plants from a terrorist assault.

"Anyone who stands up and says we can do any of these things a month from now, or six months from now, should be willing to do them now," said David Sirota, spokesman for Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Obey will try to offer an amendment to the defense spending bill that contains the $7 billion in extra money, including $250 million to secure cockpit doors on airliners.

The amendment also would provide an extra $166 million for Coast Guard patrols of ports and harbors; $200 million for the U.S. Customs Service to hire additional agents for cargo inspections; money to boost border patrols, and $2 billion to help states prepare their public health departments for a potential bioterrorist attack.

Democrats hope to pressure Republicans into supporting their plan, on the threat that a vote against money for homeland security would look as though they are voting against public safety.

"One day sooner to do all these security requirements could save a hell of a lot of lives," Sirota said. "Why should we wait?"

But Republicans appear ready to stick with the White House and not support new spending.

They argue the administration hasn't spent even half of the $40 billion Congress approved for emergency allocations.

And Bush has said he will ask Congress to supplement the 2002 budget at some point next year, if he determines that federal agencies need more money.

The Democrats' homeland security plan, which would cost $15 billion according to the Senate Democrats', is a compilation of unapproved funding requests made by agencies to the White House.

According to the White House Office of Management and Budget, agencies in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks submitted funding requests totaling over $120 billion.

"Part of what Democrats want to do is get money for agencies that haven't had their requests met," said one GOP appropriations aide.

Both parties understood the $40 billion approved in September was only the first installment of money needed to recover from, and respond to, the worst terrorist attack in the nation's history, the aide said.

But he added that now is not the time to push for more money, largely because the White House wants to avoid the traditional end-of-the-year spending spree. Lawmakers in both parties routinely load spending bills up with pork barrel projects before adjourning for the year.

The debate over homeland security money is sure to hold up passage of the Pentagon's spending bill.

So far, the House and Senate have passed 12 of the 13 spending bills needed to fund the government in 2002. Since the budget year began in October, many agencies have been forced to run their offices at lower funding levels approved for 2001.

The president has signed five spending bills into law. And the two chambers have worked out their differences, and passed conference reports, on another three spending bills.

That leaves five bills outstanding. Only the defense department's bill has yet to pass either chamber. The remaining four bills have been approved by the House and Senate, but differences between the chambers' respective versions have yet to be worked out.

For example, the transportation spending bill is stalled over Mexican truckers and whether they should be allowed to travel more freely into the United States.

And House and Senate negotiators are deadlocked over spending for education programs.