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Senate Republicans on Thursday rejected a bill to aid small businesses with expanded loan programs and tax breaks, a procedural blockade that underscored how fiercely determined the party’s leaders are to deny Democrats any further legislative accomplishments before November’s midterm elections.

The small business measure, championed by Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, had the backing of some of the Republican party’s most reliable allies in the business world, including the United States Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business. Several Republican lawmakers also helped write it.

But Republicans leaders filibustered after engaging for days in a procedural fight with Democrats over the number of amendments they would be able to offer during floor debate, and what issues the amendments would cover. A last-ditch offer by Democrats to allow three Republican amendments was refused by the Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

“The majority leader has graciously given us three amendments and what I’m saying is three amendments is not enough; he knows that,” Mr. McConnell said, leveling his objection on the Senate floor. “So we are not expecting to have an unlimited number of amendments, but three amendments will not suffice.”

The demise, at least for now, of the small-business measure signaled that Democrats would fare no better on other legislation that they had hoped to finish before the summer recess begins at the end of next week, including a scaled-back energy bill. The Senate is expected to confirm Elena Kagan’s nomination to the Supreme Court, but that may be its only substantive action before lawmakers leave town.

With 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, the tally was 58 to 42, with Democrats unanimously in favor and Republicans all opposed. The majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, switched his vote to no at the last minute, a parliamentary step that allows him to call for a revote at any point. And some lawmakers said they held out hope of a deal perhaps even later on Thursday.

The vote followed several heated exchanges on the floor, in which Republicans accused Democrats of politicizing the bill and trying to deny them the opportunity to propose changes. Democrats countered that Republicans were simply obstructing everything and some of their amendments were unrelated to the bill.

“That is the tradition in the United States Senate: majority rules but you accommodate the rights of the minority,” said Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, who is the senior Republican on the small-business committee. “We’re faced with a procedural impasse here because we’re being denied the opportunity to offer some amendments.”

Ms. Snowe also chastised Democrats for dillydallying on the small-business measure, repeatedly pulling it off the floor to deal with other matters. “We need to create jobs in America,” she said. “This bill has been on the floor for three weeks and three substitutes — 81 days.”

Ms. Landrieu harshly criticized Mr. McConnell for blocking the measure, and warned that some businesses might fail as a result of the inaction in the Senate.

“Our businesses have picked up enough weight; they can’t handle that weight,” she said in a floor speech. “And if we don’t give them some help now, today, many of them aren’t going to be here — I want the senator from Kentucky to know — when we show up in September.”

The legislation would create a $30 billion lending program within the Treasury Department, to be administered through local, community banks. It would also provide more than $12 billion in tax breaks, and would expand or enhance various existing government lending programs for small businesses.

The stalemate comes as the two parties are bracing for a fiercely competitive fall campaign season, and each side is maneuvering to portray itself as the champion of small business.

Ms. Landrieu’s staff members on Wednesday distributed a four-page chart showing how the various provisions in the legislation were drafted with bipartisan support. Her office has also distributed list of various advocacy groups, including business associations traditionally regarded as Republican allies, that are supporting the bill.

But some of those groups, including the National Federation of Independent Business, said that while they supported the overall legislation, they also supported some amendments that Republicans were seeking to offer.

Senator George LeMieux, Republican of Florida, who helped draft the bill, said Democrats had taken a bipartisan measure and created a partisan firefight over it.

“This small business bill should pass and it should pass with relevant amendments,” Mr. LeMieux said. “Before I am a Republican, I am a Floridian and an American, and this bill is good for our country.”

Mr. LeMieux pointed out that with the House set to adjourn for its summer recess at the end of this week, the Senate is running out of time if it wants to channel aid to small businesses before Congress returns to Washington in mid-September.

With tensions running high, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, immediately jumped in to ask Mr. LeMieux to yield for a question and noted that “if just one” Republican had voted with the Democrats — a pointed reference to Mr. LeMieux himself — the bill would be moving forward.

Mr. LeMieux shot back, “Half the truth is no truth at all.”

Hansel wrote:Following the unequivocal success of the stimulus, I doubt small businesses need any help

AZGrizFan wrote:Oh, boo hoo.

Dems slam shitty bills through without reading them, and you see no problem. Reps block one bill and it's the end of the **** world.

kalm wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:Oh, boo hoo.

Dems slam shitty bills through without reading them, and you see no problem. Reps block one bill and it's the end of the **** world.

Soooooo, lending to small businesses and tax breaks are no longer part of the conk plan?

Grizalltheway wrote:

kalm wrote:
Soooooo, lending to small businesses and tax breaks are no longer part of the conk plan?

Not if the Dems get credit for it. Elections are coming up, after all.

AZGrizFan wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:
Not if the Dems get credit for it. Elections are coming up, after all.

Those two statements prove how little each of you know about the political process.

a procedural blockade that underscored how fiercely determined the party’s leaders are to deny Democrats any further legislative accomplishments before November’s midterm elections

Grizalltheway wrote:And yet they're bitching about letting Bush's tax breaks for the richest 3% expire at the end of the year.

ASUG8 wrote:I won't pass judgement on this until I know what the unreasonable amendments are.........

The three Republican amendments that Democrats seemed open to debating would eliminate a provision in the new health care law requiring businesses to file 1099 forms reporting when they buy more than $600 in goods from other businesses, extend a tax credit for biodiesel fuel and extend a credit for research and development.

Republicans had also wanted amendments on other topics, including the estate tax, nuclear loan guarantees, border security and the expiring Bush tax cuts.

Senator George LeMieux, Republican of Florida, who helped draft the bill, said Democrats had taken a bipartisan measure and created a partisan fight over it.

Baldy wrote: It's pretty safe to say if the Senator who help draft this bill had to vote against it, then the Donk leadership probably attached some asinine provisions to it.

kalm wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:Oh, boo hoo.

Dems slam shitty bills through without reading them, and you see no problem. Reps block one bill and it's the end of the **** world.

Soooooo, lending to small businesses and tax breaks are no longer part of the conk plan?

Baldy wrote:

ASUG8 wrote:I won't pass judgement on this until I know what the unreasonable amendments are.........

From the article...

The three Republican amendments that Democrats seemed open to debating would eliminate a provision in the new health care law requiring businesses to file 1099 forms reporting when they buy more than $600 in goods from other businesses, extend a tax credit for biodiesel fuel and extend a credit for research and development.

Republicans had also wanted amendments on other topics, including the estate tax, nuclear loan guarantees, border security and the expiring Bush tax cuts.

Senator George LeMieux, Republican of Florida, who helped draft the bill, said Democrats had taken a bipartisan measure and created a partisan fight over it.

It's pretty safe to say if the Senator who help draft this bill had to vote against it, then the Donk leadership probably attached some asinine provisions to it.

Hansel wrote:Following the unequivocal success of the stimulus, I doubt small businesses need any help

Baldy wrote:
It's pretty safe to say if the Senator who help draft this bill had to vote against it, then the Donk leadership probably attached some asinine provisions to it.

“This small business bill should pass and it should pass with relevant amendments,” Mr. LeMieux said. “Before I am a Republican, I am a Floridian and an American, and this bill is good for our country.”

Skjellyfetti wrote:

Baldy wrote:
It's pretty safe to say if the Senator who help draft this bill had to vote against it, then the Donk leadership probably attached some asinine provisions to it.

Here's one of the Republicans that helped draft it... right before he voted against it:

“This small business bill should pass and it should pass with relevant amendments,” Mr. LeMieux said. “Before I am a Republican, I am a Floridian and an American, and this bill is good for our country.”

Baldy wrote: Then Prince Harry and his Brownshirts should let the Senators attach the "relevant amendments".
It's not that hard to figure out, ky...

Skjellyfetti wrote:

Baldy wrote: Then Prince Harry and his Brownshirts should let the Senators attach the "relevant amendments".
It's not that hard to figure out, ky...

The ones your article says Democrats were open to adding were relevant.

The ones your article says they wren't open to adding were irrelevant... border security, estate tax, nuclear loan guarantees, etc.





And why should they get all the amendments that they want? They're the **** minority. The dude **** says "This bill is good for the country." And then he votes against it.

Grizalltheway wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
Those two statements prove how little each of you know about the political process.

a procedural blockade that underscored how fiercely determined the party’s leaders are to deny Democrats any further legislative accomplishments before November’s midterm elections

I guess the author of the article doesn't know anything about it either. Fuck it, let's all just bow down to America's great political guru, AZGrizFan.

Gil Dobie wrote:It's all about the political party. Dems blaming Reps, Reps blaming Dems with no regard to what's best for the American People.

GannonFan wrote:

Gil Dobie wrote:It's all about the political party. Dems blaming Reps, Reps blaming Dems with no regard to what's best for the American People.

Amen to this post!!! Everything now is just a bunch of electioneering - Dems trying to set up the GOP so they can get a soundbite saying that the GOP is against all these things, and the GOP trying to do the same to the Dems. And then partisan zealots more interested in the political game rather than what it all means spread out and parrot the same nonsense about how the other party is bad. At least the bright side is hopefully the GOP will win the House and futher gridlock the Senate so that the Dems will have the Executive Branch and the GOP will have the legislative branch (or enough to neutralize it) - then either they work together or they just stymie each other. I'm looking forward to mixed government as it weakens the most partisan of each party.

AZGrizFan wrote:

GannonFan wrote:
Amen to this post!!! Everything now is just a bunch of electioneering - Dems trying to set up the GOP so they can get a soundbite saying that the GOP is against all these things, and the GOP trying to do the same to the Dems. And then partisan zealots more interested in the political game rather than what it all means spread out and parrot the same nonsense about how the other party is bad. At least the bright side is hopefully the GOP will win the House and futher gridlock the Senate so that the Dems will have the Executive Branch and the GOP will have the legislative branch (or enough to neutralize it) - then either they work together or they just stymie each other. I'm looking forward to mixed government as it weakens the most partisan of each party.

The way the founding fathers intended it.