This evening, Senator Reid asked Unanimous Consent on a number of bills related to the auto bailout and stimulus items.

These bills include: FMAP bill, Auto bailout plus Stimulus bill (S. 3689), Auto Sales Tax Reduction bill, Auto Bailout bill using TARP funds.

All of these requests were objected to on the Republican side.

Senator Bond asked Unanimous Consent that at a time to be determined, the Senate would proceed to a vote on an alternative in which he and Senator Voinovich have been working on. It would allow automakers to access funds, already appropriated, from a Department of Energy loan program. 

This request was objected to by the Majority Leader.

Senator Reid then filed a cloture petition on the motion to proceed to H.R. 6867, the House-passed bill to extend unemployment benefits.(Passed House 368-28 on Oct. 3, 2008)

Unless a consent agreement is reached; this vote will occur on Friday. (possibly on Thursday)