House Democratic leaders are preparing their rank and file for the likelihood that a final supplemental spending measure will contain the nonbinding Iraq withdrawal language favored by the Senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., met with members of her “kitchen cabinet” and of the Out of Iraq Caucus Tuesday, as she put it, to “hear suggestions” on how to proceed with a conference on the spending bill (HR 1591) and congressional action after an anticipated veto from President Bush.

“There were some operating assumptions that were spelled out,” said a Democratic aide who was briefed on the members-only meeting. “The committee will likely keep the [House] readiness components but take the Senate language on goals.”

But Pelosi refused to characterize the House as backing down from Democratic leaders’ pledge to end the war.

In addition to reconciling differences between the House and Senate measures regarding Iraq troop withdrawal language — the Senate sets a nonbinding “goal” of March 31, 2008, while the House measure has a firm deadline of September 2008 — appropriators must bridge the gap between total spending in the bills. The House bill totals $124.3 billion while the Senate version includes $123.2 billion.

Also, the House version includes standards for military readiness and the length of tours, though they could be waived by the president.