Politics

Reid Sets Tentative Unemployment Extension Vote for Tuesday

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

Politico reports:

Reid told reporters Wednesday that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin has promised to name an interim replacement for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) this weekend. The new senator, combined with pledges from Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine to support the revised unemployment bill, would give the majority leader the filibuster-proof 60 votes that he needs to begin moving it to President Barack Obama's desk.

'If Governor Manchin does what he has indicated to me he will and we'll have a new senator to replace Senator Byrd, then we'll vote Tuesday morning sometime on the unemployment extension,' Reid said.

As I reported last night, Majority Leader Harry Reid [D, NV] could have pushed for this to happen faster. He could have rushed the swearing-in of Sen. Robert Byrd’s [D, WV] interim replacement and kept the Senate in session over the weekend to get this done. Instead, he’ll adjourn the Senate on Friday and maybe take up the bill on Tuesday.

Full post as published by Open Congress on July 15, 2010 (boomark / email).