|
 |
 |
|
Senate vote-a-thon on highway bill amendments could stretch until next week
A series of votes the Senate is beginning Thursday on amendments to the chamber's $109 billion transportation measure could continue into the early part of next week.
Democrats have decried the amendments for weeks as being non-germane to road and public transit projects, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced late Wednesday night that he had reached a deal with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) to move forward with votes on the measures.
Under the agreement between the leaders, the Senate will consider 30 amendments that had prevented final approval of the transportation bill for nearly a month.
"We've reached agreement … on the surface transportation bill," Reid said from the Senate floor.
Quickly he added: "It's a huge job. We have 30 amendments we have to dispose of. So there is no question that senators should expect a number of votes tomorrow."
The amendments to be considered include a measure from Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) that would authorize the Keystone XL pipeline without President Obama's approval, and one from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that would block exporting oil brought into the country through the controversial pipeline.
Also to be considered is an amendment from Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) to extend oil and gas drilling permits in the Outer Continental Shelf, and one from Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) to reduce the 2013 discretionary spending cap.
Several of the measures will require 60 votes to be approved.
Democrats have framed relenting on amendments as the only way to move forward in the Senate on the transportation bill, which even Republican leaders in the House have publicly acknowledged could end up forming the basis of a final authorization measure that becomes law.
"I was hoping we wouldn't have to face convoluted amendments that are completely non-germane amendments, but they are insisting on them, so we'll have to deal with those," Sen. Barbara Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, who has shepherded the transportation bill to the Senate floor, said in a press conference Wednesday.
"It probably would be rolling back Clean Air Act rules," Boxer said of the amendments to the highway bill. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that, but there are some that want to do that."
The Senate began consideration of the highway bill amendments at 9:30 Thursday morning. The chamber is expected to resume debating the measure at about 10:45.
— Pete Kasperowicz contributed to this report.
