By Bart Jansen, CQ Staff

President Bush on Thursday raised the stakes in the standoff with the Senate over filling empty Federal Election Commission seats, but no action is expected for weeks.

Bush announced his intention to nominate someone from within the Senate itself — Matthew S. Petersen, Republican chief counsel of the Rules and Administration Committee.

That committee is in charge of vetting nominees to the FEC, so the choice of Petersen will make it difficult for senators to argue that they need a lot of time or more information before voting.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R‑Ky., said the Petersen selection “provides a path toward seating a fully functioning, bipartisan commission.”

“I appreciate the promise of the majority leader for a speedy review of Mr. Petersen’s record and look forward to his swift and successful confirmation,” McConnell said.

Howard Gantman, staff director of the Rules and Administration Committee, said lawmakers are committed to working quickly on the nominee, but formal paperwork nominating Petersen hasn’t arrived. “They have not been able to tell us when they can get the paperwork to us,” Gantman said. “We haven’t gotten it yet.”

Watchdog groups welcomed action that would allow the FEC to resume oversight functions.

“We have heard reasonably decent things about him,” said J. Gerald Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center. “Certainly considering what was expected out of the White House, it sounds pretty good at first blush. I guess it is helpful that the White House wants something here, so that we have a fully functioning FEC as soon as possible.”

Filling the FEC seats has become more urgent as this election year progresses. The six-seat commission has been powerless for lack of a quorum.

On Thursday, the Rules panel approved three nominees, bringing the number ready for floor votes to four.

By voice vote, the panel approved the nominations of Democrat Cynthia L. Bauerly of Minnesota and Republicans Caroline C. Hunter of Florida and Donald F. McGahn of the District of Columbia.

Democrat Steven T. Walther of Nevada, another FEC nominee, was already awaiting Senate confirmation.

Only one member, Democrat Ellen Weintraub, remains as a holdover on the commission. McGahn would replace Commissioner David M. Mason, a Republican who had been awaiting confirmation to another term until Bush recently decided not to renominate him.