Washington ? The to-do list awaiting President Bush’s return today to the White House is as long as time is short.

He wants a big new Pentagon budget, energy bill, legislation guaranteeing pension security and terrorism insurance and a new Homeland Security Department all on his desk in the next five weeks.

Bush was flying back to Washington from a monthlong stay at his Texas ranch to do legislative battle with Senate Democrats and race the clock against Congress’ scheduled Oct. 4 adjournment for a final month of re-election campaigning.

“The president expects Congress to act on our shared priorities and get things done,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

Add to that yet more fund-raising for Republican candidates to build on the president’s year-to-date haul of $109 million for the run up to the November election in which the Democrats’ one-vote majority in the Senate is up for grabs and only a six-seat swing in the House could end Republican control of that chamber.

Additionally, quite possibly, the president will busy himself laying a public-relations foundation for war with Iraq.

But first up is the Senate debate, beginning Tuesday, on the president’s proposal to create a new Department of Homeland Security.

Bush, who wants the department up and running by the new year, plans to bring senators to the White House for arm-twisting. Among the sticking points for Democrats who control the Senate is the president’s insistence that he have enhanced powers of hiring, firing and spending at the new department.

The president goes toe-to-toe with the Senate on Pentagon spending as well. The full Senate is working on more than $355 billion for the military $35 billion higher than this year’s level, but $11.4 billion less than what Bush wants.