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Reid Strikes Deals to Resolve Coburn’s Blockade, Tax-Extenders Bill

An on-time recess appears more likely this evening, following Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) announcement that he has struck a deal with Sen. Tom Coburn on a slate of bills the Oklahoma Republican had been blocking, as well as an agreement on the tax-extenders bill.

Reid came to the floor late Thursday afternoon to unveil that there would not be the unwelcome Friday vote on the package of bills that Coburn has been blocking.

“At this stage, it appears that the vote on cloture on the Coburn package will be vitiated. We will not have that vote tonight or in the morning,” said Reid, giving many of his colleagues comfort that they could return home for the weekend.

Soon after Reid’s announcement, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who provided the last hurdle on the tax-extenders bill because he wanted greater assistance for his storm-ravaged state, said he was no longer going to block movement on the bill.

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