Sanders notes 'high hurdle' for audit the Fed measure

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) acknowledged Thursday that it would be tough to get the 60 votes needed to pass his amendment requiring an audit of the Federal Reserve.

Sanders said he's gained some support for the amendment requiring a Fed audit, which may receive a vote on the Senate vote as early as this afternoon.

"60 votes is a pretty high hurdle," Sanders told reporters on the Capitol.

In order to forestall a filibuster, any amendment to the bill needs a 60-vote majority in order to pass. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has not yet said how he would vote, and the Obama administration has been working behind the scenes to persuade senators against attaching the provision.

But a spokesman for Sanders noted a report in the New York Times on Thursday that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) was working on a measure to go side-by-side with the Sanders amendment.

The aide said he was unsure of what it would look like, though the Times story suggested it was likely to be weaker than the current Sanders measure, which most closely resembles a provision offered by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) in the House.

"We're going to do everything we can to win this," Sanders said. "The American people believe overwhelmingly in transparency."