Reid Offers White House A Proposal To End FEC Stalemate

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008


Senate Majority Leader Reid offered the White House a compromise Tuesday to move stalled Federal Election Commission nominees, but Reid's continued opposition to Republican Hans von Spakovsky's nomination could make the offer unacceptable.

In a letter to White House Chief of Staff Bolten, Reid stressed that von Spakovsky, whom some Democrats claim wrongly implemented a voting rights law, could not clear the Senate and should be replaced.

Reid proposed allowing Commissioner Ellen Weintraub to stay on the panel and replacing former Commissioner Robert Lenard, who withdrew his name from consideration this month, with an unnamed substitute. "My understanding is that my new candidate is cleared and ready for nomination," Reid said.

On the Republican side, Reid said that Republicans have two possible candidates, not named, who could be nominated. "One would fill Mr. von Spakovsky's seat should he be defeated or withdrawn, and the other would fill the vacant Republican seat," Reid wrote. The final Republican nominee would be David Mason, who is not controversial. "I can assure you of Commissioner Mason's confirmation and commit to speedy review for your new candidates," Reid said.

"Note that this would provide Republicans with three fully confirmed members, while Democrats would have only two fully confirmed members," Reid wrote.

Though there was no reaction from the White House at presstime, they and Senate Republicans have long stated they not allow any nominees to move forward unless von Spakovsky is confirmed as part of a nominee package.

The stalemate has left the FEC without a quorum and unable to conduct much of its business in a typically busy election year.

by Ben Schneider

Wed. Apr. 30, 2008