Senate leaders agree to separate vote on von Spakovsky (FEC)

Senate leaders agree to separate vote on von Spakovsky
By Susan Crabtree
October 03, 2007

Senate Democratic and GOP leaders have developed a plan that would allow them to move the controversial nomination of Hans von Spakovsky to the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to the floor for a separate vote Thursday, but some Democrats are balking.

The plan hatched Wednesday would allow von Spakovsky’s nomination to move to the floor separately with two hours of debate beforehand. If his nomination passes, as Democratic aides predict it would, the Senate would move to votes on the other three uncontested FEC nominees.

Von Spakovsky’s opponents agreed to the deal because it would allow senators to vote against his appointment while voting in favor of the other nominees.

If von Spakovsky’s nomination should fail, the Senate would not consider the other nominees.

“It’s all or nothing,” Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said Wednesday afternoon.

In order to proceed in this way, the Senate must operate under unanimous consent. But Democratic sources say some senators are objecting to the plan and instead want to require a 60-vote threshold for von Spakovsky’s approval.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and other prominent Democrats oppose von Spakovsky’s nomination and want to hold a separate up or down vote on his nomination instead of voting on all four FEC appointees together as the agency’s nominees are usually considered.

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