It was all going so smoothly just two weeks ago, when the Senate unanimously approved a bill to federalize about 28,000 airport jobs in 142 of the nations largest airports. Now, after weeks of gridlock, the House is finally poised to vote on its own version of the bill, which pointedly may or may not include a federalized airport workplace.

Beyond a push to federalize airport workers, the Senate measure would also provide funding for federal marshals on commercial flights and mandate more secure cockpit doors. Approving that combination of security guidelines, Senators say, is a critical move towards accountability, and, in turn, regaining the trust of a jittery flying public. Currently safety workers are hired by private firms and, critics say, are held to less than exacting standards.

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nginx/1.14.0 (Ubuntu) Even after its unequivocal victory in the Senate, the bill is having trouble across the Capitol, where House Republicans are balking at a move they consider a boon to unions — and the Democratic Party. The Republican bill, sponsored by Rep. Don Young, takes a big step away from total federal control. The GOP version maintains a commitment to sky marshals and to stricter employment screening of airport employees, but allows airports to either hire federal workers or hire security jobs out to private contractors. Young is blunt in his opposition to the Senate version. "If people think there will be a change (if workers are federalized), they're smoking pot," he told reporters this week.

Meanwhile, a coalition of House Democrats and a few moderate House Republicans are standing firm behind the Senate version. The GOP leadership, well aware of that any appearance of party-line obduracy at this sensitive moment will not play well in next years campaign ads, is urging Majority Leader Dick Armey to allow a vote on the Democrats version of the airport safety bill.

The mood over at the White House is one of increasingly frustrated anticipation. President Bush, anxious to see a bill — any bill — appear on his desk, prefers the House Republicans version, but warns Congress that unless he sees action on the airport security bill soon, hell consider bypassing debate altogether by issuing an executive order. Ever hopeful for a peaceful outcome, the President met with congressional leaders Wednesday to try to smooth over differences.