Omnibus Breakdown in Senate

ABC News’ Z. Byron Wolf reports from Capitol Hill:

Senators were all set for an 8:15 p.m. vote today on the pork-laden omnibus appropriations bill for the fiscal year that already is half over.

But there has been a late breakdown of some kind and there won’t be a vote, after all.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., announced on the floor that Democrats were one vote shy of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate. Republicans, he said, want votes on more “10 or 12 more amendments.” There have been votes on 12 already this week. All of them, including proposals to strip earmarks from the bill and undo policy changes tucked inside, have been defeated.

Any amendment would send this bill back to the House for another vote there — a delay Democrats want to avoid.

But the government, operating on a short-term funding bill passed last year, runs out of money Friday, so both the House and Senate are expected to pass on Friday, probably by voice vote, a continuing resolution to fund the government through Tuesday.

Reid suggested a vote Monday in the Senate on new Republican amendments and perhaps on the omnibus bill. But Democrats obviously are having trouble counting votes. So who knows what’ll happen.

Senate Republican Leader: Gregg’s Exit Won’t Change Senate Makeup

ABC News’ Tahman Bradley reports: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” this morning that Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., has assured him that if he leaves the Senate to fill the vacant Commerce Secretary post in the Obama administration that New Hampshire’s governor would replace him with someone who would caucus with the Republicans.

“Sen. Gregg has assured me that if this were to happen, if it were to happen, it would not change the makeup of the Senate. In other words, whoever is appointed to replace him would caucus with Senate Republicans so I think it would have no impact on the balance of power in the Senate,” said the Kentucky senator.

Gregg is believed to be President Barack Obama’s top candidate for the vacant Commerce Secretary post.

There was concern among Republicans that New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch (D) might appoint a Democrat to replace Gregg, which would give Democrats a filibuster-proof 60th Democratic vote in the Senate pending the result in the contested Minnesota Senate race. But, it appears that the White House, and Lynch may have reached some sort of deal that would move Gregg from the Senate.

Reached by ABC News, Lynch’s spokesman, Colin Manning, declined to comment on any agreement, saying only that “There has been no formal announcement. This is a situation that is still between the White House and Senator Gregg.”