Republicans and Democrats appearing yesterday on talk shows said they hoped a resolution would win overwhelming support, even as they sparred over the United Nations' role and the severity of the threat from the Iraqi president.

Republican legislators, lining up behind President George W. Bush, said it's unlikely Saddam will allow inspectors unfettered access to search for weapons of mass destruction.

"He is not going to allow them back in, because he has these weapons and materials and laboratories and he isn't about to give them up," said Republican Senator John McCain.

Democrats, including House members visiting Baghdad, urged the Bush administration to work closely with the United Nations and to let inspectors resume their work.

Congress may consider the resolution this week, though negotiations on terms continue. Bush said Saturday that agreement was near and predicted that "soon we will speak with one voice."

Democrats say they will not give the president open-ended authority and are seeking to put more emphasis on a multilateral approach.

The Senate's top Republican, Trent Lott, said yesterday he wants a resolution that can attract as much support as possible.

"We're still working on language that can bring the largest number of Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, together," Lott said on CBS's Face the Nation.

Meanwhile, UN weapons inspectors, who today will lay down demands to Iraq about getting back into the country, may not get the unfettered access demanded by the United States unless the Security Council alters a deal made in 1998.

The Bush administration wants a tough new resolution completely redesigning the inspections regime and the powers inspectors would have to enter Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's palaces, block his movements and break in on closed facilities during their hunt for weapons.

"This resolution that we're working on has to give the inspectors all the access they need and there cannot be any conditions on presidential sites or sensitive sites, that just can't happen," one U.S. official said.