[{"document_url": "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/pay-raise-amendment-could-lead-to-spending-bill-showdown/comment-page-2/", "unformatted_src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130611141805-obama-search-tease.jpg", "src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130611141805-obama-search-tease.jpg", "formatted_filename": "obama search tease", "alt_text": "CNN's GUT CHECK"}, null, {"document_url": "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/pay-raise-amendment-could-lead-to-spending-bill-showdown/comment-page-2/", "unformatted_src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130718155918-tiny-white-house-search-tease.jpg", "src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130718155918-tiny-white-house-search-tease.jpg", "formatted_filename": "tiny white house search tease", "alt_text": "White House News"}, null, {"document_url": "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/pay-raise-amendment-could-lead-to-spending-bill-showdown/comment-page-2/", "unformatted_src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111013021633-voting-stickers-generic-search-tease.jpg", "src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111013021633-voting-stickers-generic-search-tease.jpg", "formatted_filename": "voting stickers generic search tease", "alt_text": "Latest CNN Polls"}, null, {"document_url": "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/pay-raise-amendment-could-lead-to-spending-bill-showdown/comment-page-2/", "unformatted_src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111026112447-capitol-dome-search-tease.jpg", "src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/111026112447-capitol-dome-search-tease.jpg", "formatted_filename": "capitol dome search tease", "alt_text": "News from Capitol Hill"}, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/10/pay-raise-amendment-could-lead-to-spending-bill-showdown/comment-page-2/", "unformatted_src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/03/10/senate.spending.bill/art.capitol.cnn.jpg", "src": "http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/03/10/senate.spending.bill/art.capitol.cnn.jpg", "formatted_filename": "art", "alt_text": "The Senate is taking up a bill to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.", "rendered_width": 292, "rendered_height": 219}, null, null, null, null]
March 10th, 2009
03:18 PM ET 
Reid predicts senators will pass overdue spending bill The Senate is taking up a bill to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. (CNN) - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed confidence Tuesday that the Senate would be able to pass an overdue bill that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in spending and thousands of earmarks - pet projects of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Reid postponed the vote last week because he wasn't sure if he had enough votes.

"This has taken far too long on this piece of legislation. I hope that we can move on to other things with a little more cooperation from the Republicans," Reid said Tuesday. "It just seems that they're just saying no to everything."

Reid said getting the 60 votes needed to end debate on the $410 billion spending bill is "certainly doable."

"Then we'll look and see if we can get enough votes to pass it. I certainly think we can," he said.

Democrats will need at least some Republican support in order to move ahead with the bill.

But if the Senate changes the current bill, the House would have to take it up again, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has warned that if that happens, she'll scrap the bill - sending funding back to current levels, with no money for new programs, and eliminating all of the earmarks.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday called the bill a "missed opportunity."

Updated 3:18 p.m.

Full story

soundoff (39 Responses)