Gridlock returns in Senate on jobless benefits

Two days after Senators unexpectedly voted to take up a bill to extend long term jobless benefits, the measure teetered on the brink of defeat in the Senate, as Democrats presented Republicans with a rewritten plan but refused to allow the GOP to offer changes on how to pay for the bill.

"We get nowhere with dueling amendments," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as he repeatedly accused Republicans of being interested only in filibusters and blocking legislation.

"It's like Groundhog Day," Reid said dismissively.

Reid once again moved to block Republican amendments by "filling the tree" on the jobless benefits bill, as he set up a Monday vote to shut off debate on a plan that GOP Senators didn't see until the Majority Leader unveiled it on the Senate floor on Thursday afternoon.

"This is unfortunate," said Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who was one of a half dozen GOP Senators to vote earlier this week to start debate on the bill.

"We were not part of the discussion," Portman lamented, as he described the latest Democratic plan as a "take it or leave it" offer, mainly designed to draw a Republican filibuster.

"It's the same tune, time and time again," Reid said in a mocking reply to Portman, arguing the GOP always feels that things are "never quite right" when it comes to Democratic Party proposals on anything.

"The time is now to fish or cut bait," Reid told Republicans on the jobless benefits issue.

Things got so prickly at one point that Democrats repeatedly refused to even let Portman speak on the floor; the former budget chief in the Bush Administration said both sides should still try to negotiate a deal.

"I do think there's an opportunity for us to do so, but I don't think we can do it unless there is a little bit of give and take."

As for the new Democratic plan, it used part of a plan from Portman, which would block people from drawing benefits both from Social Security Disability - and from the unemployment insurance fund.

But Democrats pared back Portman's plan, claiming that there was opposition from disabled groups.

Most of the savings in the new plan from Democrats comes from extending the sequester on mandatory spending for another year, but those savings in Medicare would not be realized until 2024.

The new plan did represent a change in strategy from Democratic leaders, who started the week with no intention of voting on a plan that paid for extended long term benefits with any offsetting budget savings.

But the plan also shut out Republicans - and unless there is a change before Monday - likely means that the Senate will not get 60 votes, leaving the bill in gridlock in the Senate.

In terms of strategy, what Democrats want to do is very clear - they will continue making the argument that Republicans are blocking action on just about everything in the U.S. Senate - that argument already led to the use of the nuclear option to limit the filibuster on Executive Branch nominations.

Republicans though counter that Sen. Reid is causing gridlock by not allowing the GOP to offer amendments on any legislation - in fact, since July, the GOP has only been able to bring up four amendments for a vote.