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Reid Threatens Saturday Session

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) threatened to keep the Senate in session on Saturday if he cannot get an agreement with Republicans to finish the Homeland Security spending bill by Friday.“The Republicans are stalling this. They’ve filed 135 amendments in the last day or two, but we’re going to finish it. If not Friday, then I think we’ll be working Saturday, because of the work schedule— for the month, Reid told reporters Thursday.He said there was a possibility of a GOP-led filibuster attempt but predicted he would be able to overcome that by Monday at the latest.Reid said he hopes to start and finish action on the defense authorization bill next week.Though the Majority Leader insisted that he still plans to bring up a health care bill by July 20, he announced that he has pushed back his timeline for having a climate change bill ready for floor action.After a meeting Wednesday with chairmen who have jurisdiction over the issue, Reid said he agreed to give them 10 more days to work on it in September. He had originally asked for a bill to be ready by Sept. 18 but has pushed that date back to Sept. 28.Environment and Public Works Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said the change would allow her to push back her panel’s markup of a global warming bill from this month to September. She said it was unlikely she would release bill language before the 5-week recess begins on Aug. 7.

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