‘Coburn Omnibus’ Fails to Advance

The Senate on Monday failed to advance a package of 35 bills being blocked by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).A procedural vote fell 52-40 – eight votes short of the 60 needed to call the “Coburn Omnibus” up. Most Republicans objected, insisting that the Senate re-open debate on an energy bill that also failed to achieve cloture on Friday.

GOP senators are pushing for a vote on an amendment that would lift a congressional moratorium on offshore oil drilling.

Coburn has more than 80 holds in effect on bills that he has refused to allow the Senate to pass by voice vote. In retaliation, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had bundled 35 of the most popular proposals into a single package.Reid offered earlier Monday afternoon to allow four amendments by Republicans to the energy bill, a proposal to which Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) responded favorably. But a final agreement on that proposal has yet to be announced.

– J. Taylor Rushing