Senate May Work This Weekend

By Manu Raju Posted: 07/21/08 03:43 PM [ET], The Hill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is renewing his threat to hold the Senate in session this weekend to help finish a laundry list of legislation before Congress takes a month off in August ahead of the 2008 elections. Complicating the schedule is a dispute between Reid and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who has blocked the Senate from approving upwards of 80 bills on issues ranging from healthcare to drug prevention. Coburn does not necessarily oppose all the bills, but argues taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for legislation that is closed off for debate. Democrats call him an obstructionist who is impeding Senate business. An omnibus bill wrapping up all the GOP and Democratic measures Coburn is targeting is expected to hit the floor later this week and could spill into the weekend, according to Democratic aides.