WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is preparing a budget request that will freeze most spending on agriculture, veterans and science, slash or eliminate dozens of federal programs, and force more costs — from Medicaid to housing — onto state and local governments, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.

The White House also plans to reintroduce measures to stem the growth of federal health-care and other entitlement programs that rise automatically each year based on set formulas, they said.

The tough budget for the fiscal year that begins in October is intended to signal President Bush's commitment to rein in the record federal deficit and to satisfy conservative critics who note spending has soared since Bush took office.

"The goal is to reduce deficit in half over four years, and you can't reduce the deficit if you don't reduce the growth of entitlements," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. "If the president sends up an aggressive budget, I'll be certainly receptive to it, and I think the Congress will be, too."

Bush's budget will be unveiled Feb. 7.

The president will impose "very, very strong discipline" in the budget, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday.

Congressional aides have been told to expect virtually the same level of spending in fiscal 2006 as this year in programs not connected to defense and homeland security. This fiscal year, those domestic programs grew by a slim 0.8 percentage point, and Bush plans to be even tighter, ensuring that spending will not keep up with inflation in most domestic programs.

Many of the programs on the chopping block were there last year. For instance, Bush unsuccessfully tried to cut the budget of the Army Corps of Engineers by $597 million, or 13 percent.

But this year may be different.

"We have to find the money somewhere to [avert the president's proposed cuts], and I don't know how you find it if everything is tighter than a drum," said one House Appropriations Committee aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They are on the warpath."

Gregg agreed, noting that with the election over, conservatives are eager to finally attack the growth of government.

"I think it's going to be very doable because the whole tenor has changed," he said.