The Defense Department is not expected to honor Congress’ request to deliver a supplemental budget request for fiscal year 2009 when it submits its overall budget Feb. 4, according to House and Senate aides.

If the Pentagon holds back the supplemental request, that may be in part because lawmakers have not yet approved the entire war funding request for FY ’08.

Moving any kind of spending legislation will be tricky in an election year, aides said.

It was difficult even last year. Democrats attempted to use the war funding bill as leverage for bringing troops home from Iraq. Ultimately, lawmakers approved about $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as Congress closed out its work period in December.

The remainder of the Pentagon’s $189 billion request has not been approved.

“It’s still a pending submission,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Brian Maka, who would not say whether DoD will or will not provide its war funding request Feb. 4.

Debate about how the Pentagon should present its request for war funding has raged since the start of the war. Last February was the first time both were merged, in response to language in the defense authorization act.