Thursday, March 09, 2006

5:45 Senate Stands Adjourned The Senate has recessed until 10:00 on Monday morning. The first vote is expected to occur at 5:30 that evening. 5:44:42 PM

2:35 Cloture Not Invoked By a vote of 51-47, cloture was not invoked. 2:36:58 PM

2:03 Senate Voting To Invoke Cloture on Lobbying Reform Bill The Senate is now voting to end debate on the Lobbying Reform Bill. 2:04:21 PM

1:50 Lobbying and Port Security Debate Continues; Cloture Vote is Expected Shortly The Senate has spent the morning debating both lobbying reform and the port security issue.  Some members have said that the security issue is tying up action on the lobbying bill, while other members have argued that the Senate can debate these two different issues at the same time.  A cloture vote on the lobbying bill is expected at 2 pm.  A development in the port security issue came from Senator Warner's announcement that Dubai Ports World has promised to fully transfer its managment of the US ports to a US-owned company.  Despite this announcement, which Senator Schumer said was "promising", the New York Senator is still asking Senators to vote against cloture on the lobbying bill and continue consideration of his port security amendment.  1:53:17 PM

9:30 Senate Reconvenes The Senate convened at 9:30 and is now in a period of morning business.  The Senate will continue its work today on the Lobbying Reform bill, S.2349 and roll call votes are expected throughout the day. Yesterday, the Majority Leader, Senator Frist, filed a cloture vote to cut-off debate on the Lobbying Reform bill.  It is unclear whether that cloture vote will occur today or tomorrow. Consideration of the lobbying bill was complicated yesterday afternoon by the introduction of a 2nd degree amendment by Senator Schumer on port security. Senator's Schumer amendment would ban Dubai Ports World from taking over the management of six U.S. ports. 9:41:41 AM