Sen. Reid on Tuesday said Republicans were controlled by ideologues either devoted to or scared by conservative activist Grover Norquist.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday and is expected to debate a bill from Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) that calls for higher taxes on people earning $1 million a year or more.

Reid put forward the bill, S. 1323, as a way to meet Republican demands to begin considering bills related to the debt ceiling and budget deficit crises. But Republicans on Tuesday already began criticizing the bill by saying a tax hike is not the answer (in addition to noting that Reid's bill is only a sense of the Senate measure).

The Senate has put off a vote on legislation authorizing military action in Libya to focus on the debt talks.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned on Tuesday that Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi is "serious" about attacking European cities in order to pressure European officials to cease their airstrikes against Libya.

"He actually means it," Graham said of Gadhafi. "Hitler meant it. He means it."

Senate Democrats on Tuesday evening called up new legislation, S. 1326, that would implement President Obama's request to increase the debt ceiling. The bill, the text of which is not yet available, was introduced just before the Senate adjourned shortly after 6 p.m.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

The new bill was introduced after a lengthy vote on a motion that asked the Senate's sergeant at arms to request the presence of all senators on the floor. The Senate approved this motion in an 83-8 vote.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday dared Senate Democrats to immediately hold a vote on their sense of the Senate that taxes should be increased on people earning $1 million or more a year.

"I call for a vote immediately, today," Paul said on the floor. "If Democrats want to raise taxes, let's do it. I'm happy to vote on that today because it's not the answer."

Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on Tuesday warned that by not passing its own budget plan, the Senate might be losing its entire reason for existing, as a select few seem to be negotiating a deal in the hopes that the entire body can approve it quickly, with little debate.

"I'm beginning to wonder if the United States Senate is in fact beginning to lose its reason for being," Sessions said on the floor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday challenged the president for a second time to meet with Senate Republicans.

Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday indicated that they and several other Senate Republicans will vote against a motion to proceed to a resolution authorizing military operations in Libya, in protest of the lack of progress on a debt ceiling agreement.

This was announced when Wicker took to the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon to complain that while the Senate has canceled its schedule recess this week, it does not appear to be doing any work to resolve the debt-ceiling fight.

"And for that reason, I want to announce at this point that I will be voting 'no' this afternoon on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a debate on Libya," Wicker said.