Congress pauses on the subpoena front
WASHINGTON — Congress called a timeout Thursday in its confrontation with the Bush administration after a Senate committee voted to authorize subpoenas to compel White House officials -- including political advisor Karl Rove -- to testify about why eight U.S. attorneys were fired last year.
Democrats said the voice vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee, following a similar move by a House subcommittee Thursday, would strengthen their hand as they sought more information from the White House about the dismissals, which critics say were politically motivated.
But at the same time, members of Congress said they would not issue any subpoenas for at least a week, a move that allows time for negotiations in what had become a rapidly escalating constitutional showdown.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said he would wait until Thursday at the earliest to make a decision on subpoenas.
"Let's not rush into this," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters, noting that the chamber would adjourn next week for spring recess. "When we get back from our break, a decision will have to be made" on whether to issue subpoenas to Rove and others.
The decision to move more slowly will permit the two sides to begin conversations in private that could lead to a deal.
Indeed, talks began Thursday afternoon when the Senate Judiciary Committee's top Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, spoke to White House Counsel Fred Fielding over the phone.
Specter said he proposed that interviews with Rove and others take place in public and be transcribed, but that they would not need to be under oath and the number of questioners could be limited.
Fielding "said that he had no authorization to negotiate, but that he would take my suggestion to the president," Specter said.
Fielding on Tuesday said that Rove, former White House Counsel Harriet E. Miers and others would agree to be interviewed in private by a limited number of lawmakers, but not under oath and with no transcript or recording of the interviews.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday that "Fred Fielding listened with an open ear," but she gave no response to Specter's proposal.
Leahy expressed exasperation with the White House, saying that the Fielding offer amounted to "nothing, nothing, nothing." But he added that he would not issue subpoenas until after Thursday, when he has invited D. Kyle Sampson, a former Justice Department official accused of leading the charge against some of the attorneys, to testify before the committee.
