House leaders expect to take up the war supplemental today, although details on the plan still haven’t been released.

Democrats appeared to be having trouble rounding up votes for the rule to allow floor consideration of the war supplemental. Talk yesterday was the rule also might require votes later this year on withdrawal of troops from Iraq and a repeal of the 2002 congressional war authorization — both likely intended to attract votes of anti-war liberals for the rule. Democratic leaders want to bring up the “empty” Senate version of the supplemental and offer two amendments: one to insert the war funding and benchmark language, and the second to add non-war funding. But that plan would be thwarted if the rule for floor debate is rejected, and liberals oppose the package as being too weak. House Rules is scheduled to meet at 7 a.m. today.

Conservative Republicans and the White House are not thrilled at having to accept billions in non-war funding, which Bush earlier said would prompt a veto. The Associated Press reports about $17 billion in non-requested spending has been agreed to, including domestic items like $3 billion in agricultural disaster aid, more than $600 million for childrens’ health insurance, and more than $400 million to Western rural counties. Funding for bird flu preparedness and low-income energy aid reportedly has been dropped, while homeland security money has been halved. Kansas Democrat Nancy Boyda announced $40 million in disaster aid has been added for the town of Greensburg, Kansas, destroyed by a massive tornado.

Many Democrats are looking down the road at the next chance to debate the war. Senate Armed Services Chairman Levin yesterday said he will offer language to the Defense authorization bill to begin troop withdrawals from Iraq, while House Democrats are looking ahead to the Defense spending bill and to a fiscal 2008 war supplemental that probably will be debated in September — when the Pentagon is due to report on whether the situation in Iraq has improved.