WASHINGTON — Democrats sent a massive Wall Street regulation bill to the full Senate on a party-line vote Monday after a temporary retreat by Republicans that still left the bill’s chances for bipartisan passage in doubt.
In a surprise move, the Senate Banking Committee met briefly to approve the bill 13-10 but not before Republicans jettisoned more than 300 amendments they had planned that could have put their imprint on the bill. Senators had been expecting a long week of votes and debate, only to find themselves voting as they were still easing into their seats.
Despite a conciliatory tone struck by the committee’s Democratic and Republican leaders, the development did nothing to mend the partisan divide over the legislation and adds even more uncertainty to Congress’ ability to pass a sweeping rewrite of financial regulations this year.
The Senate would not take up the bill until April at the earliest.
In their opening remarks before the committee vote Monday, committee chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and the committee’s top Republican, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, chose to sound optimistic about the bill’s prospects. The Associated Press
