Aviation security bill remains in limbo in Senate

Even after voting to limit debate on an aviation security measure on a 97-0 vote Tuesday, the Senate appeared no closer to passing the bill than before.

Republicans continued to object to bringing the bill up after the procedural vote, and Tuesday afternoon Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., suggested action on the bill be suspended.

"There are people opposed to federalizing a failed system, and I'm one of them," Lott said.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., rejected the idea of suspending the bill. Democrats said that at some point they will have the votes to go forward.

"We're trying to reach a deal amicably for now," said a spokesman for Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., the chief sponsor of the security bill.

Senate Republicans are discussing a proposal with the White House that would allow a percentage of airport workers to remain private and give oversight authority to a government entity other than the Federal Aviation Administration.

House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said Tuesday that House Republicans "stand by the President" on the issue of federalizing airport security workers. He held up the "European model," in which private contract workers are supervised by well-trained government employees.

"Part of this is a debate over what is federalization," Armey said.

A Senate GOP leadership source said Republicans agreed on the need for a federal "management structure" that would involve supervisors and "some armed federal agents at the gates."