Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON, D.C. : Ambassadors, Treaty Swiftly Approved

Breaking an impasse with barely a word of discussion, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared the way for approval of ambassadors, an arms treaty and the reorganization of the State Department. The panel approved 18 ambassadors, including former Tennessee Sen. Jim Sasser as ambassador to China. The panel also approved the long-stalled ratification of the START II treaty calling for continued strategic arms reductions by the United States and Russia. Committee Chairman Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) agreed to the actions after negotiating a deal with Democrats that would settle a long-standing dispute over State Department reorganization.