Agreement to vote on Small Business bill will include votes on EPA amendments

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a major breakthrough on negotiations over the pending Small Business Administration authorization bill.

The Senate will vote on seven amendments on that bill Wednesday afternoon, including an amendment from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that would kill EPA climate change rules.

Several other Democratic alternatives will be voted on, including Sen. Jay Rockefeller’s (D-W.Va.) plan that would delay regulation of power plants, refineries and other facilities for two years. All the amendments face very high hurdles to winning the necessary 60 votes.

See The Hill's E2 blog for more details.

“None of these going to be easy but they are votes that are going to be necessary," said Reid.

The Senate recessed at 7:47 p.m. on Tuesday night as is scheduled to return at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.