Harry Reid pushes $80 billion jobs bill (includes a reauthorization of the Patriot Act)

Politico | February 10, 2010
By Lisa Lerer

Several key Democrats say there is no deal on an $80 billion jobs bill — even as Majority Leader Harry Reid has been pushing for quick action in the Senate ahead of a snowstorm that has largely shut down Capitol Hill.

“There’s no agreement on what it all is yet,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who’s playing a key role in the negotiations. “We’re working as well as we can but again a lot of senators are gone and they're just not going to make it this week.”

Reid said drafting of the bill had been completed Tuesday afternoon, and he threatened to keep the Senate in session into the weekend to get it done, even as the rest of Washington shut down for the second round of punishing blizzards.

[...]

A draft of the jobs bill circulating on K Street and Capitol Hill also showed the legislation including provisions unrelated to jobs, including a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, infusion of new money to the Highway Trust Fund and extension of the so-called doc fix.

Full article here