–Senate Majority Leader Says He Will Work With GOP Leader On Bill
–Sen. Reid: ‘Terribly Disappointed’ That Omnibus Spending Bill Blocked
–Sen. Reid: ‘Path Is Clear’ To Completing Legislative Agenda For Year

By John Shaw

WASHINGTON (MNI) – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Friday
that the Senate will pass a stop-gap spending bill to keep the federal
government running.

In remarks on the Senate floor, Reid said that he was “terribly
disappointed” that an effort to pass an omnibus spending bill Thursday
was blocked in the Senate.

The current stop-gap spending bill, which is funding the
government, expires Saturday at midnight.

The House passed a year-long stop gap spending bill last week that
funds the government in fiscal year 2011 at fiscal year 2010 spending
levels.

Senate Democrats planned a different approach, folding all 12 of
the regular spending bills into an omnibus package.

Senate Republicans cited the cost of the measure — $1.1
trillion — and it’s length at nearly 2,000 pages as central reasons for
blocking the measure.

Republicans also cited the measure’s inclusions of hundreds of
earmarks as a reason to oppose the omnibus spending bill. In the bill,
these earmarks were relatively evenly divided between Democrats and
Republicans.

With the omnibus bill derailed, Reid said the Senate will move to
pass a stop-gap funding bill to keep the government running.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed a stop-gap bill
that would fund the government until February 18.

Both the House and Senate must approve the stop-gap spending bill
by midnight Saturday.

In his remarks on the Senate floor, Reid said “the path is clear”
for the Senate to finish its work for the year in the next few days.

Reid said the Senate must pass the stop-gap spending bill and a
nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia.

He said that he also expects Senate votes Saturday on the Dream Act
and a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

The only major business left in the House is passing the short-term
stop gap spending bill.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: (202) 371-2121 **

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