White House says it 'strongly supports' Reid jobs bill

The White House said it strongly backs the $15 billion jobs bill set for a preliminary vote on the Senate floor Monday afternoon.

"The administration strongly supports Senate passage of the Reid Amendment to H.R. 2847 as one important step forward in the ongoing effort to help put Americans back to work," a White House statement of official policy said Monday.

Senators will take to the floor at 5:30 p.m. this afternoon to vote on a cloture motion on the package, which Reid crafted after shelving an original, larger jobs package that was negotiated by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).

Still, it's not clear whether Reid will necessarily have the 60 votes necessary to end debate on the more modest package, which incorporates many Republican proposals, and move to final passage.

White Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said many Republicans "may well" vote for the jobs bill, few Republicans have committed to voting for it.

"The amendment includes several of the administration’s top priorities for job creation, including a tax incentive to encourage businesses to hire, a tax cut to make it easier for small businesses to invest and expand, and further measures to keep people at work improving the Nation’s roads, bridges, and public transportation infrastructure," the White House statement said. "The administration looks forward to working with the Congress on additional job creation measures, including increased access to credit for small businesses."