Chances that a job bill will pass the Senate before President’s Day recess are hovering near zero.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has suggested that if an agreement can’t be reached by week’s end, he might keep the Senate in session through the weekend. And one Senate aide says that remains a distinct possibility. But even if that happens, Reid himself says, with over a dozen legislators frozen out of town by a major snow storm, there’s almost no way they can get it done.
“I doubt seriously there will be any votes this week,” Reid said on the Senate floor late Tuesday.
Reid has been under serious pressure from both Democratic members of Congress, and the White House–desperate for a political feather-in-the-cap–to get a package through before next week’s break. But that’s hard when one of the only Republicans who’s been constructively engaged in designing the bill–Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)–is stuck at home, unable to fly into a snow-locked DC.
Looks like it’ll have to wait.
