Washington ? A budget deadlock between President Bush and Congress is stalling billions of extra dollars both want for police training, hospital improvements and other anti-terror projects.

Impending approval of the Homeland Security Department, juxtaposed with the stalemate over counterterror spending, has led critics to say the department will be little more than window dressing unless the added money is provided.

Local officials complain that they need the extra money quickly because their budgets already are strained by the weak economy and new security activities they are financing on their own.

While creating the new agency is important, “moving boxes around doesn’t necessarily solve the problem,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, Maryland’s health secretary. “In fact it does distract people from the main mission ” protecting the American people.”

White House officials and other supporters say that many domestic security programs got extra money last summer in a midyear budget bill, and agencies have plenty of money to tide them over until January. That is when Congress, soon to adjourn for the year, reconvenes with leaders hoping to complete overdue budget work and provide the extra money.

“There’s a big bank account over the next eight weeks to get things going,” said Trent Duffy, spokesman for the White House budget office. “And we’re confident that when Congress returns, they will deliver the additional funding the White House called for.”

In one of the highest profile initiatives of his budget last February, Bush proposed big increases for the new year for state and local emergency personnel, public health systems and dozens of other counterterror programs. With lawmakers of both parties expressing support, the only question seemed to be how much they would add to his plan.

But a fierce budget fight, which has pitted Bush against Democrats and some Republicans, has stalled the bills that were to deliver the extra money for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. With lawmakers ready to leave town, that means most federal programs will be financed at last year’s levels or less until at least mid-January, leaving the proposed increases in limbo.

These include his fiscal 2003 proposals for:

l $3.5 billion to help first-responders pay for items like protective gear, chemical detection equipment and training, compared with $924 million in 2002;

l $4.3 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services to battle bioterrorism, a $1.3 billion increase. This includes money for research, laboratory improvements and purchase of anthrax vaccines.

l $5.3 billion for the new Transportation Security Administration, $600 million more than last year. The agency is supposed to protect airports, ports and other transportation facilities.

Only two of the 13 annual spending bills for fiscal 2003 have been completed, both covering the Pentagon.

The rest of government ” from NASA to job training ” is being financed at last year’s levels under temporary spending legislation that runs through Jan. 11. Those budgets will be squeezed tighter on Jan. 1, when agencies will have to dig into them to pay for a 3.1 percent pay raise for workers.

Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., who will run the Senate when Republicans take the majority in January, said the delayed increases would not cause a problem.

“We’ll take care of that the first thing when we get back,” he said.