Senate leader breaks logjam on spending bills

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., managed to clear the way Thursday for the Senate to proceed on fiscal 2002 appropriations bills, after providing additional assurances to Republicans that Democrats will continue to move President Bush's nominations.

Republicans objected Thursday when Daschle tried to bring up the FY02 Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill, prompting a new leadership conversation about nominations.

GOP senators declined to issue any bold pronouncements to hold up the Commerce-Justice-State bill, although it was clear that the nominations were causing the delay.

Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Judd Gregg, R-N.H., said a "judge fight," as well as some "amendment issues," was holding up the bill.

"I'm the wrong guy to ask," he said. "I don't have any objections. I want to get to the bill. I want to get it done."

Daschle met Thursday evening with Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Judiciary ranking member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to discuss the GOP's concerns. According to GOP aides, Republicans wanted to know how Democrats planned to proceed with nominations for the rest of the year.

"First, we're inquiring: What's the plan?" said a GOP aide.

Earlier this summer, Senate Republicans held up appropriations bills to extract immediate concessions and move batches of nominees. While Democrats ended up negotiating with Republicans over those terms, Majority Whip Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Thursday that Democrats wanted to avoid any "quid pro quo."

Lott indicated that Republicans were satisfied with new general assurances from Daschle and Leahy.

"We'll trust but verify," he said, and "see how it goes."

He continued: "We got an understanding of what we think will occur. It's not based on a specific date or a specific number [of nominees]."

Lott said the Democrats provided assurances of regular hearings and votes on nominees, including District and Circuit Court judges.

It is unclear whether Daschle provided any new assurances in private that he has not made repeatedly in public.

He vowed at a Wednesday press conference not to engage in any "payback" and has expressed a desire several times to move nominees.

Lott said that for now, Republicans are satisfied with a "good-faith commitment," adding, "We'll see."