Bush told congressional leaders last week he wants them to finish work on his ਍਀攀搀甀挀愀琀椀漀渀 爀攀昀漀爀洀 戀椀氀氀 ⴀⴀ 眀栀椀挀栀 䌀漀渀最爀攀猀猀 椀猀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 琀漀 搀漀⸀ 䠀攀 愀氀猀漀 挀愀氀氀攀搀 漀渀 ഀ lawmakers to work out their differences on a patients' bill of rights. The ਍਀愀搀洀椀渀椀猀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 愀渀搀 戀甀猀椀渀攀猀猀 氀漀戀戀礀椀猀琀猀 愀爀攀 瀀爀攀猀猀椀渀最 昀漀爀 愀挀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 戀爀漀愀搀攀渀 琀栀攀 ഀ president's trade negotiation authority.

"In times like these, the American people expect us to come together, they ਍਀攀砀瀀攀挀琀 甀猀 琀漀 最攀琀 琀栀椀渀最猀 搀漀渀攀Ⰰ∀ 䠀愀猀琀攀爀琀 猀愀椀搀 礀攀猀琀攀爀搀愀礀 漀渀 一䈀䌀✀猀 ∀䴀攀攀琀 琀栀攀 倀爀攀猀猀Ⰰ∀ ഀ where he was joined by Gephardt, Daschle and Lott.

Key senators and representatives of both parties have met informally and ਍਀渀愀爀爀漀眀攀搀 琀栀攀 搀椀昀昀攀爀攀渀挀攀猀 漀渀 洀漀爀攀 挀漀渀琀爀漀瘀攀爀猀椀愀氀 愀猀瀀攀挀琀猀 ⴀⴀ 愀挀挀漀甀渀琀愀戀椀氀椀琀礀 ഀ measures and treatment of "failing" schools, consolidation of existing federal ਍਀愀椀搀 瀀爀漀最爀愀洀猀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 漀瘀攀爀愀氀氀 昀甀渀搀椀渀最 氀攀瘀攀氀⸀ ∀圀攀 愀爀攀 瘀攀爀礀 漀瀀琀椀洀椀猀琀椀挀 漀渀 琀栀攀 ഀ education bill," a White House official said.

Rep. Charles Whitlow Norwood Jr. (R-Ga.), who negotiated a compromise with ਍਀䈀甀猀栀 琀栀愀琀 漀瀀攀渀攀搀 琀栀攀 搀漀漀爀 琀漀 䠀漀甀猀攀 瀀愀猀猀愀最攀 漀昀 愀 洀漀爀攀 爀攀猀琀爀椀挀琀椀瘀攀 洀攀愀猀甀爀攀 琀栀愀渀 ഀ the Senate had approved, is reportedly of the view that unless there are clear ਍਀猀椀最渀愀氀猀 昀爀漀洀 戀漀琀栀 瀀愀爀琀椀攀猀 漀昀 眀椀氀氀椀渀最渀攀猀猀 琀漀 挀漀洀瀀爀漀洀椀猀攀Ⰰ 挀漀渀瘀攀渀椀渀最 愀 昀漀爀洀愀氀 ഀ House-Senate conference in the remaining weeks of this session would be ਍਀昀甀琀椀氀攀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

Two other measures of importance to the White House face more dubious ਍਀瀀爀漀猀瀀攀挀琀猀⸀ 䠀愀猀琀攀爀琀 愀渀搀 䠀漀甀猀攀 圀愀礀猀 愀渀搀 䴀攀愀渀猀 䌀漀洀洀椀琀琀攀攀 䌀栀愀椀爀洀愀渀 䈀椀氀氀 吀栀漀洀愀猀 ഀ (R-Calif.) share Bush's view on the importance of restoring the broad ਍਀瀀爀攀猀椀搀攀渀琀椀愀氀 愀甀琀栀漀爀椀琀礀 琀漀 渀攀最漀琀椀愀琀攀 琀爀愀搀攀 愀最爀攀攀洀攀渀琀猀 琀栀愀琀 氀愀瀀猀攀搀 搀甀爀椀渀最 ഀ President Bill Clinton's term. Thomas has come up with language aimed at ਍਀猀愀琀椀猀昀礀椀渀最 䐀攀洀漀挀爀愀琀椀挀 搀攀洀愀渀搀猀 琀栀愀琀 攀渀瘀椀爀漀渀洀攀渀琀愀氀 愀渀搀 氀愀戀漀爀 猀琀愀渀搀愀爀搀猀 戀攀挀漀洀攀 瀀愀爀琀 ഀ of the trade dialogue and has commissioned three moderate Democrats on the ਍਀挀漀洀洀椀琀琀攀攀 琀漀 琀攀猀琀 琀栀攀 爀攀愀挀琀椀漀渀 愀洀漀渀最 琀栀攀椀爀 昀攀氀氀漀眀 瀀愀爀琀椀猀愀渀猀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

But Rep. Robert T. Matsui (D-Calif.), a supporter of liberal trade measures, ਍਀猀愀椀搀 漀渀 䘀爀椀搀愀礀Ⰰ ∀䤀 琀栀椀渀欀 琀栀攀 戀椀氀氀 眀椀氀氀 栀愀瘀攀 琀漀 戀攀 搀攀氀愀礀攀搀⸀ 䤀 搀漀渀✀琀 琀栀椀渀欀 洀漀猀琀 ഀ Democrats have changed; it's still contentious."

Comprehensive energy legislation and environmental reforms are also being ਍਀猀栀甀渀琀攀搀 愀猀椀搀攀 愀猀 䌀漀渀最爀攀猀猀 猀栀椀昀琀猀 琀漀 愀 眀愀爀 昀漀漀琀椀渀最⸀ 匀攀渀愀琀攀 䐀攀洀漀挀爀愀琀猀 琀漀漀欀 愀 ഀ skeptical view of the energy package passed by the House in August and planned ਍਀琀漀 漀昀昀攀爀 愀渀 愀氀琀攀爀渀愀琀椀瘀攀Ⰰ 眀椀琀栀 最爀攀愀琀攀爀 攀洀瀀栀愀猀椀猀 漀渀 挀漀渀猀攀爀瘀愀琀椀漀渀 洀攀愀猀甀爀攀猀 愀渀搀 愀 ഀ ban on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now it appears doubtful ਍਀愀渀礀 戀椀氀氀 眀椀氀氀 攀洀攀爀最攀 昀爀漀洀 挀漀洀洀椀琀琀攀攀 昀漀爀 匀攀渀愀琀攀 昀氀漀漀爀 搀攀戀愀琀攀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

Similarly, the momentum has gone out of administration and congressional ਍਀攀昀昀漀爀琀猀 琀漀 爀攀搀甀挀攀 攀洀椀猀猀椀漀渀猀 昀爀漀洀 瀀漀眀攀爀 瀀氀愀渀琀猀 琀栀愀琀 挀漀渀琀爀椀戀甀琀攀 琀漀 最氀漀戀愀氀 眀愀爀洀椀渀最⸀ ഀ "Certainly, things of necessity have been put on hold," Environmental Protection ਍਀䄀最攀渀挀礀 猀瀀漀欀攀猀眀漀洀愀渀 吀椀渀愀 䬀爀攀椀猀栀攀爀 猀愀椀搀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

A promised plan for overhauling U.S. defense forces, which drew congressional ਍਀漀瀀瀀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀 攀瘀攀渀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 椀琀 眀愀猀 氀愀椀搀 漀甀琀Ⰰ 栀愀猀 戀攀攀渀 搀攀氀愀礀攀搀 椀渀搀攀昀椀渀椀琀攀氀礀 戀礀 ഀ emergency planning. A Republican leadership aide said that one controversial ਍਀愀猀瀀攀挀琀 ⴀⴀ 愀 渀攀眀 爀漀甀渀搀 漀昀 戀愀猀攀 挀氀漀猀椀渀最猀 ⴀⴀ 椀猀 搀攀愀搀⸀ ∀一漀 漀渀攀 眀愀渀琀猀 琀漀 琀愀氀欀 愀戀漀甀琀 ഀ that in the middle of a mobilization," he said.

The Republican co-sponsor, Rep. Christopher Shays (Conn.) "is focused on the ਍਀渀攀攀搀猀 漀昀 栀椀猀 挀漀渀猀琀椀琀甀攀渀琀猀 眀栀漀 眀攀爀攀 椀洀瀀愀挀琀攀搀 戀礀 琀栀攀 愀琀琀愀挀欀 漀渀 琀栀攀 圀漀爀氀搀 吀爀愀搀攀 ഀ Center," a spokesman said. Rep. Martin T. Meehan (Mass.), the Democratic ਍਀挀漀ⴀ猀瀀漀渀猀漀爀Ⰰ ∀椀猀 渀漀琀 瀀甀猀栀椀渀最 椀琀 爀椀最栀琀 渀漀眀Ⰰ∀ 栀椀猀 瀀爀攀猀猀 猀攀挀爀攀琀愀爀礀 猀愀椀搀⸀ ∀䄀昀琀攀爀 眀攀 ഀ have dealt with the national security issues, we'll begin to evaluate the ਍਀琀椀洀椀渀最⸀∀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ

As for Social Security, a report from the presidential commission that was ਍਀攀砀瀀攀挀琀攀搀 琀漀 爀攀挀漀洀洀攀渀搀 愀 琀爀愀渀猀椀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 愀 猀礀猀琀攀洀 椀渀挀氀甀搀椀渀最 瀀爀椀瘀愀琀攀氀礀 洀愀渀愀最攀搀 ഀ retirement accounts has been put off from this autumn until next spring.

Staff writers Helen Dewar, Juliet Eilperin, Amy Goldstein and Eric Pianin ਍਀挀漀渀琀爀椀戀甀琀攀搀 琀漀 琀栀椀猀 爀攀瀀漀爀琀⸀㰀⼀䔀䴀㸀㰀⼀倀㸀ഀ