D.C. Voting-Rights Debate Nears Do-or-Die Moment

He said he planned to offer an amendment to block that possibility.

The torturous path to passing the bill reflects the strong partisanship in Congress and the intricate ways of the Senate.

To be considered, a bill needs either to get the consent of all senators or to clear a 60-vote hurdle. In the past, senators agreed unanimously to let many bills move straight to the floor. But the 60-vote threshold, known as a cloture vote, has become more common.

"Since the beginning of the year, Republicans have done everything in their power to stall progress on bills," said Rodell Mollineau, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

He said Republicans have imposed the 60-vote hurdles on 15 bills in the eight months since they left the majority, whereas Democrats did so on 13 bills in the previous two years.

Stewart, the Republican leader's spokesman, said Democrats were the ones frittering away time by holding a "political vote" on the D.C. bill. He noted that if it gets 60 votes Tuesday, the legislation will be put on the back burner by Reid until the Senate gets through other business, such as Iraq measures.

"They're wasting legislative days on something they don't plan to proceed to," said Stewart, referring to the two-day pause required before a cloture vote.

Reid hopes to get a final vote on the D.C. bill before the week-long Columbus Day break, according to his spokesman.

The vote count is considered so close that the bill's supporters initially feared it could be affected by the presidential race. Six senators -- four Democrats and two Republicans -- are campaigning for their parties' nominations. But all of them will be in town for the vote, their offices said.