It's sort of anti-climatic, since we knew on Tuesday with this procedural vote that Republicans Voinovich and LeMieux had decided that since they're leaving soon anyway, they owed more to their country than their party.
So huzzah to the Senate!
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate has passed a bill to create a $30 billion government fund to help open lending for credit-starved small businesses, cut their taxes and boost federal loan programs for them.
The 61-38 tally rewards President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies of Capitol Hill with a long-sought victory and sets the stage for a final vote in the House, which is likely to approve it for Obama's signature.
The new fund will go to community banks to shore up their ability to lend to small businesses. In addition to the fund, the bill provided about $12 billion in tax breaks to large and small businesses over the next decade. The House will probably take up the bill next week.
RenMin started the discussion in his diary.