Several Democrats said yesterday that they were still hopeful that the six city Republicans could persuade their leaders to override Mr. Levy and reach a bipartisan accord.

There was not even a whiff of bipartisan accord toward the end of the health care struggle.

But the storm has highlighted the divisions over the $15 billion program, which just a few years ago seemed an emblem of rare bipartisan accord.

Accordingly, he said, "this bill is heading toward confrontation instead of bipartisan accord."

Senators, unlike House members, rarely resort to formal subpoenas to get information and generally seek bipartisan accord.

If the talks are successful, they will be the first significant bipartisan accord on an economic issue since the new Congress began.

That puts even more emphasis on striking a bipartisan accord.

"I think the governor has come to realize the truth of what the polls say," said Mayor Cassella, taking note of the new bipartisan accord on the issue.

We signed today in the Cabinet Room a bipartisan accord on Central America which sets out the broad outlines of U.S. policy toward the region.

I hope the Esquipulas accord and the bipartisan accord that we signed here will someday be seen as the first step toward that future.