Senate, House leaders meet in Maine to try to close intel deal

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., flew to Maine Monday and met with Senate Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, in an attempt to reach a deal by Tuesday on intelligence overhaul legislation that President Bush could sign before Election Day.

A spokesman said Hastert took the action because he "wants to get a bill done." Hastert was in Maine also to campaign for GOP candidates.

House GOP aides said Monday they were encouraged by an e-mail sent over the weekend by 9/11 Commission Executive Director Philip Zelikow expressing support for the latest House language to create a national intelligence director. Zelikow said the House proposal offered Friday by House Intelligence Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., moved significantly closer to full budget authority for the proposed national intelligence director, according to aides.

The 9/11 Commission planned to hold a news conference Monday to talk about House-Senate negotiations.

"Our goal is to push the momentum because we're at a do-or-die point," said a Commission aide. "Compromise is essential," the aide said. The Commission has been pushing for the Senate bill.

House and Senate aides said Monday that time is running out to schedule votes before Election Day. "I think tomorrow is make it or break it," said a spokeswoman for Governmental Affairs ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.

The White House over the weekend agreed to the 9/11 Commission and victims' families' demands that Bush call House and Senate leaders, but the administration gave no indication the president asked for a bill before Nov. 1, the day before Election Day.

On Friday, Hoekstra, who is leading negotiations, called creating the NID the "linchpin" for a deal. Senate negotiators responded Sunday by digging in their heels.

"The House bill would create a weakened intelligence director, which 9/11 Commission Chairman Thomas Kean has said would be worse than no intelligence director at all," said a statement issued by Senate conferees.

If conferees can reach common ground on the language, the two sides could reach agreement quickly on sticking points in the House bill.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey said Friday that House Democrats and senators had "come a long way" on immigration and law enforcement provisions. He said there is agreement on a House provision requiring by October 2006 that all U.S. citizens returning from locations in the Western hemisphere, such as the Caribbean, must present a passport to re-enter the country, with exemptions for Mexico and Canada.

The two sides are also close to a deal on increasing the number of border agents and investigators for the immigration and customs enforcement office, expanding the definition of terrorism and authorizing the death penalty for convicted terrorists.