The House Judiciary Committee marked up legislation: H.R. 6054, the “Military Commissions Act of 2006.” The hearing was animated by switched votes, parliamentary maneuvers and protest cries from Democratic members, and the committee barely managed to reject a rival proposal and endorse the administration’s version of the legislation with a vote of 20 to 19.

Republicans controlled the Judiciary Committee, 23 to 17. But early in the day, three Republican members were absent and two others backed rival legislation written by Senators John W. Warner, John McCain and Lindsey O. Graham. Had a couple of Democrats not also been absent at the time, the Warner bill might have won the panel’s endorsement. It fell just short, but so did the White House version, which was temporarily voted out of the committee with an “unfavorable report.” Democratic members tried to end matters, but narrowly failed to adjourn the meeting and deny the committee a quorum. That gave Republican leaders time to round up two of their missing colleagues, Reps. Henry J. Hyde and Elton Gallegly. Over strenuous Democratic protests and shouts of “point of order,” the Republicans used a series of 20-to-19 votes to overturn the previous decision and to favorably report President Bush’s bill to the House floor. Republican Representatives Jeff Flake and Bob Inglis joined all 17 Democrats in opposing the efforts.