Dem senator threatens filibuster deal

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) expressed his anger at Senate Republicans Thursday for filibustering legislation he claimed would create jobs and indicated that a deal struck between the parties early in the year to streamline the legislative process could be on the rocks.

"It disappoints me that Republicans chose politics over job creation when they filibustered legislation that would have reauthorized the Economic Development Administration -- an agency dedicated to restoring economically distressed regions to prosperity," said Whitehouse. 

Democrats are upset Republicans killed the EDA funding bill earlier in the week by loading it with dozens of non-germane amendments and voting down a procedure that would have brought debate to a close.  A Small Business Administration funding bill saw similar demise earlier in the year. 

"I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will reconsider their tactics,” said Whitehouse. “If not we may have to reconsider ours and force some votes on job creation measures without this litany of irrelevant amendments that have bogged down and obstructed the previous job bill we tried to get action on.”

The agreement struck between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was to provide Republicans with unlimited amendments in exchange for fewer filibusters in order to allow Senate to operate more efficiently and avoid the stalemates the characterized the last Congress.

---