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WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a move that could doom billions of dollars that Democrats had sought for domestic programs, Senate leaders agreed Wednesday night to allow separate votes on President Bush's request for Pentagon operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a proposal to greatly expand veterans' education benefits.

The Senate was slated to vote Thursday to provide $165 billion for the wars, funding those operations until the new administration takes over next year. GOP leaders were expected to try to block the amendment aimed at the GI Bill -- authored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va. -- to send a ''clean'' war funding bill back to the House. Democrats expressed cautious confidence that they would win the 60 votes needed to adopt it.

The plan announced Wednesday night by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., could scuttle efforts to provide 13 more weeks of unemployment benefits as well as money for heating subsidies, fighting Western wildfires and aid to rural schools, among other programs. Such spending had been backed by senators in both parties but had drawn a veto promise from Bush.

The White House has promised to veto the additional veterans education benefits, arguing that they would hurt efforts to re-enlist troops finishing their stints in the service.

To gain another almost $28 billion in non-defense spending, Democrats would need to win over at least 10 Republicans -- a difficult task at best.

The deal reached between Reid and his GOP counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, is also likely to lead to passage of Bush's funding request without restrictions on his conduct of the Iraq war.

The deal, if passed on Thursday, would send the war funding bill to the House in hopes it would soon reach Bush's desk.

Under the proposal, the Senate would first vote -- and is expected to reject -- a bill pending before the Senate that's replete with domestic programs added by both Democrats and Republicans.

Then the Senate would turn to the GI Bill expansion, which is aimed at guaranteeing returning Iraq war veterans the equivalent of a four-year education at a public university. It would cost $52 billion over the next decade.

Next would come a vote on the war funding.

Republicans are expected to block a Democratic plan to urge Bush to begin redeployment of combat troops and place other strings on his ability to conduct the war in Iraq. After that vote, the Senate would immediately vote -- and pass -- the war funding measure. If Democrats are successful, the war funding measure would likely move to the House in tandem with the education proposal.

The House would be unlikely to act until Congress returns from a one-week recess.

The war funding measure has had a remarkably chaotic journey through Congress. It's been delayed for weeks as Democrats tried to figure out ways to structure debate to allow themselves to vote against financing the war in Iraq but still ensure that it passes.

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