Harry Reid... the charismatic senator-for-life from Nevada, currently majority leader ...
set up a Monday vote on replenishing the almost-empty federal disaster relief accounts as all sides race to beat a deadline to keep money money flowing to disaster-stricken states and to keep the federal government on the lam running.
"Cool off a little bit. Work this through. There's a compromise here," Mr. Reid said Friday, minutes after the Senate blocked back a bill drafted by House Republicans that would have replenished the disaster fund accounts through Nov. 18.
Without an agreement, the government could shut down in a week, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency could run out of money even before then.
The House, on the strength of Republican votes, passed a bill early Friday morning that directs an additional $3.65 billion to FEMA, with some of the spending offset by cuts to a clean-energy program popular with Democrats and the B.O. regime.
They pleaded with Mr. Reid to pass their bill, arguing it is the only version that can be signed into law before Monday, when FEMA money could run dry.
"Harry Reid is holding a bill up with full funding for what is needed right now for no reason -- for no reason but for politics," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican. "This is why the people just don't have the respect for this institution and this town anymore."