WASHINGTON — Sen. Daniel K. Akaka continues today to pursue a procedure to force a vote on the Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill in the Senate if Republican leaders fail to remove roadblocks keeping it from debate this week.

Akaka, D-Hawai'i, also said he spoke yesterday with Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who believes an agreement can be reached with Republican opponents blocking the bill to bring it up for debate and vote before the Senate's monthlong recess, now scheduled to begin Aug. 1.

"I am pursuing both tracks of actions because I intend to make sure that (the bill) is considered this week," Akaka said.

The bill would create a process for Native Hawaiians to form their own government, and had been expected to come up for debate last week.

Frist and other Republican leaders committed last year to schedule a debate and vote by Aug. 7 but have been thwarted by other Republican senators who object to the bill for various reasons, including the possibility that it would allow Native Hawaiians to become involved with gambling one day.

Akaka and Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai'i, have said they would use the procedure known as cloture if no other way could be found to get the bill to the floor. Cloture, which needs 60 votes to be successful, would trigger 30 hours of debate that essentially halts other Senate business.

Earlier yesterday in an interview with National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation," Akaka said he is continuing negotiations with the Republican opponents but didn't sound hopeful.

"They are seeking changes in (the bill) that we cannot agree to and they are seeking language changes that we cannot agree to," he said.

Akaka also said negotiations are ongoing with the White House, which had also raised concerns about the bill. Those issues involve the time allowed for monetary claims by Hawaiians, the prohibition on gambling, the makeup of the panel certifying who would be part of a Native Hawaiian government and the possible interference with U.S. military operations.

Correction: Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawai'i, was interviewed on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" on Monday. The name of the show was incorrect in previous version of this story.