Reid Promises Vote on Jobs Bill Next Week

A Senate majority leader needs to 'think bigger'

(NEWSER) - The Senate may be dealing with weighty issues like health care reform, but its majority leader's biggest concern is his own political skin, writes Dana Milbank. Harry Reid's selfish focus on re-election is getting in the way of his larger duties, and it's time Democrats woke up to this reality. Yes, the good citizens of Nevada deserve attention, "but in a nation of 300 million, the Senate majority leader needs to think bigger." More»

House aims to have job creation package ready by Xmas

(NEWSER) - House Democrats hit by accusations they've been focusing on health care at the expense of employment plan to tackle job creation in the coming weeks. There's no consensus on whether the move will come as one big package or a series of smaller measures but Democratic leaders plan to have legislation in place by Christmas, congressional aides tell The Hill. More»

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid said he was confident the Senate would produce a stimulus bill ready for voting by tonight, Reuters reports. “We’ve made progress,” the majority leader said of efforts to sweat the measure down from $937 billion. “I think we’re going to be able to work something out.” Sobering jobs numbers seemed to spur legislators to action, as did a tongue-lashing from President Obama. More»

Move limits amendments that can be proposed after filibusters

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid shocked Congress last night when, without warning, he deployed the so-called “nuclear option” to change the Senate’s rules. No, he didn’t get rid of the filibuster. He barred senators from (stay with us) making motions to suspend the rules, a move that allows them to propose and debate on non-germane amendments after a bill has already defeated a filibuster and moved to a final vote. The new rule passed 51-48 along partisan lines, though only after some heated conversations between some Democrats and Reid, Politico reports. More»

Senators quietly maneuvering to move in if leader goes down

(NEWSER) - Capitol Hill housemates Charles Schumer and Richard Durbin are likely to end up fighting over a lot more than the breakfast cereal if Harry Reid loses his re-election battle. The senators from New York and Illinois, Reid's top two deputies, are subtly building support for bids to become majority leader—while publicly throwing their full support behind Reid, the New York Times reports. Schumer has donated $500,000 to the Nevada Democratic Party and Durbin has kicked in $50,000. More»