Conferees named for intelligence overhaul negotiations

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., named their conferees Monday for the upcoming negotiations on legislation to overhaul intelligence-gathering agencies and the House was expected to formally appoint its negotiating team.

Senate sources said they expect negotiations to continue through the coming weeks, and there is still a possibility that both houses will be called back later this month if a conference agreement can be reached.

Frist told reporters on Monday he expects to decide by Wednesday what the schedule will be for considering the legislation. Frist named Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with GOP Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Trent Lott of Mississippi.

The Democratic conferees will be Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan, Richard Durbin of Illinois, John (Jay) Rockefeller of West Virginia, Bob Graham of Florida and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. House Republican leaders on Tuesday released and then withdrew a statement listing as conferees Intelligence Chairman Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., International Relations Chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., and Rules Chairman David Dreier, R-Calif.

The Democrats are Democratic Caucus Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Intelligence ranking member Jane Harman of California and Armed Services ranking member Ike Skelton of Missouri.