No one has ever yet explained to my satisfaction how the Democrats are continually stopped from passing legislation by the Republicans, yet they claimed there was nothing they could do when the Democrats were in the minority. Funny, huh:
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats tried to pressure Republicans on Monday to vote for a $159 billion economic stimulus plan, including $1 billion in additional subsidies for home energy, instead of a cheaper, more streamlined package approved by the House last week.
The majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, said that if the bill failed, he might allow a vote just on the original House plan. That proposal does not include changes favored by both parties to extend tax rebates or other payments to more than 20 million Americans receiving Social Security and to 250,000 disabled veterans.
Mr. Reid seemed to drop a plan that he and other Democratic leaders laid out last week, when they said they would seek a series of votes on the rival packages, with the last one on the House bill with the desired changes.
The Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, reacted furiously. He said he would delay a vote that Mr. Reid wanted to hold on Tuesday on a permanent extension of the Bush administration’s terrorist surveillance program, thereby delaying the stimulus vote, which had been expected on Wednesday.
