The Senate Starts to Work

As the Senate on Tuesday blocked an amendment that would do away with ethanol fuel subsidies, it marked a shift for Senators - they are actually voting on some significant issues.

For much of the year, Democrats in the Senate have kept a lid on what amendments can come to the floor, in part trying to keep Republicans from forcing votes on a variety of issues, some of them politically contentious.

So far this year, little in the way of serious legislation has been on the Senate floor, and members of both parties have been expressing frustration in recent weeks, unable to force votes on the budget and much more.

The dam partially broke last week as Democrats brought up an economic development bill on the Senate floor, which quickly attracted a number of amendments, dealing with everything from increasing the debt limit to a plan to delay the Obama health reform law.

The first vote of significance last week was related to swipe fees on debit cards; yesterday brought the ethanol issue to the floor, which may return in a different form in coming days as well.

What other items might come up on this bill in the Senate? Check the list of amendments that are pending right now - they would put more than a few Senators on the record on some big issues.