Reid spokesman: Vote to repeal oil subsidies unlikely this week

A Senate vote on a proposal to eliminate billions of dollars in oil industry tax breaks is unlikely this week, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.

"I don't think we will have the oil vote this week," Reid spokesman Jon Summers told The Hill.

Reid told reporters last week that he hoped to bring a bill to the floor as soon as possible. But he said he would first have to deal with the small business bill, which has been lingering on the floor of the Senate for week.

In a floor speech Tuesday, Reid said he filed cloture on the small-business bill Monday night "in order to bring this debate to a close." There will be a vote later this week to determine whether the small-business bill will move forward.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) unveiled an outline of legislation last week that would repeal tax breaks for the five largest oil companies.

Baucus said Tuesday he did not know when he will unveil the full text of his bill or when it will come up for a vote on the floor.

The White House called on congressional leaders to pass a bill repealing oil tax breaks after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared to open the door to supporting the proposal in an interview. But Boehner's office walked back his comments last week.

Still, there appears to be some support among Republicans for the proposal. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said last week that he supports repealing the tax breaks.

The House will vote on at least one bill this week to expand domestic oil-and-gas production. Amid gas prices that are nearing $4 a gallon, Democrats are expected to offer a series of amendments to the bill that would effectively repeal the tax breaks.