Opinion polls suggest most Americans favour the research, which scientists hope could lead to treatments for a wide range of serious illnesses.
But Mr Bush has consistently opposed embryonic research on moral grounds.
The Senate will debate three separate stem cell bills over Monday and Tuesday, with voting on Tuesday.
The most controversial bill, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, would scrap limits on federal funding imposed by Mr Bush in ۲۰۰۱.
It has already been passed by the House of Representatives.
Republicans at odds
In the years since Mr Bush’s ban was imposed, pressure for a loosening of restrictions has built.
Campaigners for such research include prominent Republicans such as Nancy Reagan, widow of former President Ronald Reagan, who died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist backed Mr Bush in ۲۰۰۱ but now says the administration’s policy has proved “too restrictive”. He points out that the embryos proposed for use in stem cell research are left over from in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments, and so would be thrown away anyway.
And opinion polls suggest almost two-thirds of Americans support the research.
But Mr Bush remains firmly against any change to the law, along with many other conservative Republicans.
‘Destroying life to save life’
“The use of taxpayers’ money to promote science which destroys life in order to save life - I’m against that, and therefore if the bill does that, I will veto it,” Mr Bush warned Congress recently.
Should Mr Bush veto the bill, Congress would have to vote by a two-thirds majority to override the veto.
That would require ۲۹۰ of the ۴۳۵ votes in the House of Representatives. It was ۵۰ votes short of that last year when it approved the stem cell bill last year. Sixty-seven votes would be required in the Senate.
Not since Thomas Jefferson has a US president gone this long without using his veto, reports the BBC’s James Coomarasamy.
He says the Bush administration has successfully used pro-life issues to mobilise its Republican base, notably in the ۲۰۰۴ presidential election.
It would be ironic if one of those issues results in the president’s first-ever veto of a Bill passed by the Republican-controlled Congress.
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