Hoyer, who appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” with House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), said he would have to discuss the Senate’s new bill with House Democrats.

Conservative Democrats in the Blue Dog Coalition have voted against Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) bills that have not been offset. Hoyer was among 30 Democrats who voted against an unpaid-for AMT bill last week.

The Senate's move to put the AMT provisions in the financial rescue bill is expected to pick up some Republican votes. It is unclear if the House will take up the Senate bill.

Both Hoyer and Blunt said they are optimistic that a financial rescue measure will be passed, noting that the single greatest point drop in the history of the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday — which followed the failure of the bill in the House — has shaken up the stalemate.

“Calls to members’ offices have changed from being 90 percent ‘don’t do this.' " Hoyer said. “They’re at least 50-50, and in some offices they’re 90 percent, ‘You have to do something. This may be the best thing out there.' ”

Hoyer added that the public has realized that the effort to help Wall Street “affects them personally. They saw their 401(k) plan, for instance, very substantially reduced in value on Monday.”

Blunt also stated that the Senate's addition of an increase of the FDIC-insured savings limit, from $100,000 to $250,000, has helped to get lawmakers to reconsider their votes.

Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), whose district includes many investment analysts who commute to New York, said on C-SPAN Wednesday morning that constituent calls to his office last week were 30-to-1 against the bailout plan. On Monday, the calls were about even, Shays said, adding that the tide since then has turned once again against the rescue legislation.
Shays, who is in a challenging reelection race, voted for the rescue bill on Monday.