A Senate standoff over nominations to the Federal Election Commission has left the agency unable to implement, much less enforce, the bundling provision in a new lobbying law.

The law calls for the first batch of reports detailing the names of lobbyists or anyone who raises and bundles $15,000 or more for congressional and presidential candidates to be filed with the FEC by April 20. But a dispute between Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., over nominations to the FEC has left the agency with only two commissioners — not enough for a quorum to issue policy guidelines and rules to implement the new regulations.

The commission is composed of six members, three from each party. The vacancies have left it crippled, unable to issue any opinions or impose fines. Even the approval of additional presidential matching funds — beyond the $20 million it recently certified for release to qualifying candidates — will be put on hold until more commissioners are confirmed. That could affect the presidential campaigns of Democrats John Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich , as well as Arizona Sen. John McCain and California Rep. Duncan Hunter on the Republican side, all of whom are relying to a certain extent on public funds to help keep their efforts alive.

The current deadlock centers on President Bush’s renomination of Hans von Spakovsky, a former assistant attorney general for civil rights. Liberal groups have attacked von Spakovsky for advocating use of photo identification at the polls. Democratic Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin placed holds on his confirmation.

In response, McConnell has refused to allow confirmation votes on three other nominees, and the White House has refused to withdraw von Spakovsky’s nomination.

The FEC’s 375 employees are still collecting disclosure forms, continuing audits and investigations, and keeping track of the millions in contributions made to federal candidates and political action committees.

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