Senate Stimulus Vote Expected by Tonight

The House is set to pass the final stimulus deal today, with the Senate to follow as early as this evening. The one sticking point is Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is attending his mother’s funeral today and has to return to Washington for the vote. Brown’s vote is critical in this case because the ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) won’t be able to make it to the Capitol this time, meaning that the stimulus will likely slip past the finish line with the bare minimum of 60 votes needed to break a threatened filibuster.