WASHINGTON, March 9 (Xinhuanet) -- US lawmakers have cautioned against any expectation of a quick confirmation of John R. Bolton,an outspoken critic of the United Nations, as ambassador to the organization, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

    Bolton, 55, currently undersecretary of state for arms control,has drawn praise from conservatives and most Republicans for his criticism of the UN, but Democrats and supporters of the UN have expressed criticism and concern.

    The decision to nominate Bolton to be American envoy to the UN was made by US President George W. Bush. Bolton's nomination was announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday.

    Lawmakers and their aides said the only practical way that Bolton could be blocked from approval would be for all Democrats and one Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has 10 Republicans and eight Democrats, to vote no.

    A tie vote would mean that the nomination could not be sent to the Senate floor, unless Republicans found a way to circumvent theusual rules, Senate aides said.

    In her announcement of Bolton's nomination at a State Department news conference on Monday, Rice said, "The president and I have asked John to do this work because he knows how to get things done."

    "He is a tough-minded diplomat, he has a strong record of success, and he has a proven track record of effective multilateralism," Rice said.

    Bolton, who attended the news briefing, promised to work closely with members of Congress to advance Bush's policies.

    "The United Nations affords us the opportunity to move our policies forward," he said.

    UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, informed by Rice of the appointment, has expressed through a spokesman that he looked forward to working with Bolton.

    Bolton, 56, was born in Baltimore. He graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School. He has been under secretary of state for arms control and international security since May 2001 and earlier held a variety of high-level government jobs at the departments of Justice and State under Republican administrations.

    Weapons expert Bolton is a hard-liner in discussion s about nuclear issues in Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He is also an enthusiastic proponent of a North American defensive missile shield.

    Now, his elevation would put him in perhaps the most visible diplomatic job outside that of Rice, the New York Times said.

    Bolton is expected to succeed former Sen. John Danforth, who retired in January. Danforth, a former US senator from Missouri, served on the job for just six months. He left on Jan. 20, at the end of Bush's first term. Enditem