The bipartisan energy efficiency bill that the Senate has debated on and off since last year is once again on the verge of becoming the punchline of a bad joke.

During his opening remarks Tuesday, Majority Leader Harry Reid compared trying to reach an amendment agreement on the pending bill to children trying to catch a greased pig.

“Oft times, working with my Senate Republican colleagues reminds me of chasing one of these little pigs in a greased pig contest. Regardless of all efforts, any time we get close to making progress, it stands as though we watch it slip out of our hands, and the Republicans scamper away,” the Nevada Democrat said.