Senate Dems Don't Have Votes to Pass Stimulus

Stick up to Reid, Dems urge Pelosi

(NEWSER) - The Senate requires 60 votes to avoid filibuster, so the 58-strong Democrats are at the mercy of centrist Republicans Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, and Susan Collins. Politico reports that House Dems, who have no trouble passing bills on their own, are unhappy that their legislation has to run this gauntlet. Says one, “You have Specter, Snowe, and Collins dictating terms to 250" of us. More»

(NEWSER) - The Senate passed its version of the $838 billion stimulus bill today, in a 61-37 vote, the Wall Street Journal reports. Three moderate Republicans—Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, and Olympia Snowe—jumped across the aisle to prevent a filibuster. Now the House and Senate must reconcile the differences between their bills, in the hope of getting it onto President Obama’s desk within a week. More»

Holds highly unusual 1-on-1 meetings with stimulus holdouts

(NEWSER) - President Obama is reaching across the aisle to moderate senators whose votes are crucial to passage of the economic stimulus bill. He put in a call to John McCain, who has been a vocal critic of the bill’s current incarnation. “We'd like to sit down and try to work something out that would be truly job creating,” McCain said after the conversation. And the president held 'remarkable' one-on-one with three swing senators, Politico reports. More»

Kyl: 'Start from scratch;' McConnell vows Dems won't get 60 seats

(NEWSER) - The level of spending in Barack Obama’s House-approved $819 billion stimulus package will complicate its Senate passage, say two senators whose support will be crucial. “Unfortunately, this bill has become a Christmas tree,” Republican Susan Collins told CNN, while Democratic colleague Ben Nelson said, “There’s no pork in this, but there may be some sacred cows.” Elsewhere around the dial: More»

Moderate Republicans break ranks to move bill past key hurdle

(NEWSER) - A GOP attempt to filibuster another extension of unemployment benefits failed last night after four moderate Republicans voted with the Democrats. The bill—a package of measures that includes extending benefits for another month for around 200,000 long-term unemployed—is expected to pass a final vote later this week, buying lawmakers time to work on a longer-term solution, Politico reports. More»