Few if any of the 12 annual appropriations bills are likely to get to Obama's desk before Election Day, but Congress will have to pass stopgap funding to avert a government shutdown when the new budget year begins Oct. 1.

The battle over the annual spending bills comes as House Republicans are moving on a separate track to target food stamps, federal employee pensions, tax breaks for illegal immigrants and subsidies under Obama's health care law in a multifaceted drive to swap cuts to domestic programs for big Pentagon cuts scheduled next year.

Those cuts are mostly familiar, though a plan to cut food stamps goes well beyond a bipartisan proposal drafted last year. The Democratic-controlled Senate has no plans for companion legislation.

A measure approved Wednesday by the Agriculture panel would reduce the food stamp monthly benefit for a family of four by almost $60, repealing increases that were enacted three years ago as part of Obama's economic stimulus.