Daily News Update, Dec. 7, 2007
Farm Bill impasse broken
Late last night the impasse on how to proceed with the Senate Farm Bill
was finally broken, reports Colin Woodall, executive director of
legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed
a motion to invoke cloture on the Farm Bill in an effort to limit debate
and lead to a vote on final passage. This is the same thing he did the
week before Thanksgiving when he was unable to get the 60 votes needed
for passage (he only got 55).
The agreement reached last night will allow each side to offer 20
amendments to the bill. The Senate
recessed this afternoon without a vote on the cloture motion; however,
Senate staff will work through the weekend to settle out the amendments,
which will come from the list of 380 amendments filed before
Thanksgiving.
The Senate will return on Monday at 3 p.m.
for debate, and the first votes are expected on Tuesday morning. It is
the objective of the Senate to have the Farm Bill finished by Christmas. |
