Despite a last minute push from the Bush administration, opposition Democrats declined to take up the enabling bill before adjourning, but agreed to consider it in a 'lame duck' session after the November 7 elections.

Majority and Minority leaders Bill Frist and Harry Reid had worked through Friday on a "package" on how to debate the bill that was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a 16-2 majority, but could not be taken up by the whole chamber in the face of objections from a few senators from both sides.

As the Senate raced through several other bills considered crucial by the White House, Minority leader Harry Reid promised to put the bill on "automatic pilot" so that it may be taken up as "the first order of business" after the break.

"I would hope we could take a limited number of amendments, very short-time agreements on these and have it set up so that, when we get back when the elections are over, this (bill) be the first order of business we move to. We could set it up so we could finish it in a very long day but we can do it in one day," said Reid.

Frist had on Thursday night reported to the Senate that the Democrats had declined to approve a managers' amendment to the bill worked out by Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman Richard Lugar and its ranking Democrat Joseph Biden to ensure its quick passage.

If like members of his own party, the Democrats had agreed to pass it without further amendment or debate on Thursday night, it could be sent to conference over the recess to resolve their differences with the other house over the legislation, he said.

That way "we could be assured of sending this bill to the President before we adjourn," he said.

The House of Representatives had passed a different version of the enabling bill by an overwhelming 359-68 votes.