FOSTER HEADS TO THE FLOOR

The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee voted 9-7 to recommendconfirmation of Dr. Henry Foster as surgeon general. The favorable vote included two committee Republicans: James Jeffords of Vermont and Bill Frist of Tennessee, a cardiologist who waited until minutes before the vote to publicly support the fellow Tennessean he has known for years. Now,TIME congressional correspondent Karen Tumultynotes, Foster has to circumnavigate a promised filibuster by Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Tx.), who has made the nominationan issue in his presidential campaign. With Frist's support, Foster now has 52 votes -- eight short of the number needed to block the move. But three "no" voters on the committee, including chairwoman Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, today said they would back a full Senate vote.