Washington ? President Bush may seek more money for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan next year than the $50 billion figure his budget director cited months ago, White House officials say.

The acknowledgment comes amid growing doubts in Congress that the amount will be enough to finance U.S. operations in the two countries, especially in an increasingly violent Iraq. Lawmakers also say they will probably give the administration less leeway than it wants in spending the money.

Joshua Bolten, Bush’s budget chief, cited $50 billion in February as “the upper limit” for what might be spent for the wars next year. But administration officials, who have repeatedly said they can’t predict what will be needed, said this week that the figure had been misinterpreted and that they might request more or less than that.

“He feels very strongly that that wasn’t meant as a marker,” budget office spokesman Chad Kolton said Thursday, referring to Bolten’s mention of $50 billion.

Administration officials asked congressional leaders on Wednesday for an initial $25 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first months of fiscal 2005, which starts Oct. 1.

The request is expected to take months to move through a Congress facing fall elections and a federal deficit likely to set a record this year of perhaps $500 billion.