"Reid believes a deal has been reached to pass 9/11 health bill"

[Clio the Leo]

Senate aims to move forward on 9/11 first responders health bill
By Michael O'Brien - 12/22/10 08:50 AM ET
Senate Democrats have scheduled a key vote Wednesday on legislation helping rescue workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks.

Senate Democrats have scheduled a key vote Wednesday on legislation helping rescue workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that the Senate will hold a cloture vote at around noon to see if the bill providing healthcare benefits to 9/11 first responders can get the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

If the Senate votes to end debate and no Senate Republicans throw up procedural hurdles, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Wednesday morning that the House will be waiting to approve the bill.

Hoyer said Wednesday that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had told him that Reid "has an agreement" that can get the 9/11 bill through the Senate and to the House by early afternoon.

Hoyer said he had spoken with Reid on Wednesday morning, and that the top Senate Democrat believed that a deal had been reached with Republicans to pass the stalled legislation on what's shaping up to be the last day of the lame-duck Congress.

"I just got off the phone 10 minutes ago with the majority leader of the Senate, Harry Reid … and he indicates that he believes he can get a bill to me," Hoyer said on the liberal Bill Press radio show.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/134777-911-health-bill-set-for-key-noontime-test-vote-in-senate

(fingers crossed)