The scheduled Senate vote this afternoon to consider legislation that would extendthe Transaction Account Guarantee program beyond Dec. 31 isn't assimple as another legislative victory for banks and a defeat forcredit unions.

One important behind-the-scenes force moving the bill forward isthat it is being used as a prop in partisan debate over filibusterreform, said CUNA's Senior Vice President of Legislative AffairsRyan Donovan.

“The motion to proceed is more of a statement for support offilibuster reform than for TAG,” Donovan said. “(The Democrats')filibuster reform proposal would eliminate the ability tofilibuster a motion to proceed, so that's why they'll proceed to avote.”

John Magill, CUNA executive vice president of governmentalaffairs, added that every vote in the lame duck session will takeon multiple meanings, weighed down by procedural and politicalimplications.

“This is not simply an up or down vote on TAG,” Magill said.

The Senate is expected to debate filibuster reform in January,potentially ending a popular minority party tactic of obstructingbills and presidential nominations by allowing one individual toutilize the parliamentary procedure to delay or kill a vote.

The filibuster has become a highly partisan issue, and MinorityLeader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) famously filibustered against hisown debt-ceiling proposal Dec. 6 after Majority Leader Harry Reid(D-Nev.) called his bluff by advancing the bill.

Despite “mixed signals” from the Senate regarding support toproceed to debate on S. 3637, CUNA officials said they expect itwill receive the required 60 votes today. However, that doesn'tmean the bill is a slam dunk to pass the Senate, Donovan said.

One deciding factor will be whether or not Reid will allowamendments to be added to the bill, he said.

“What we've seen frequently over the last two years is when theamendment tree is filled and amendments aren't allowed, those billsgenerally go down because those who can't have their amendmentsadded vote against it,” Donovan said. “So, if past performance is apredictor, we think there's a valid argument there might be somedifferences in those two votes.”

Plan A for CUNA today is to convince enough senators to voteagainst moving the TAG bill forward; however, should the bill moveinto debate, the trade association will shift into Plan B, pushingfor consideration of an amendment by Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) thatwould add credit union member business lending legislation onto the bill.

Should that fail, Plan C would see credit unions pressingsenators to vote down the bill's passage.

CUNA President/CEO Bill Cheney stressed conditions in the Senatepresent a real opportunity to add MBL legislation onto the TAGbill. Credit unions aren't the only group that will be pushing Reidto allow amendments on S. 3637, CUNA officials say.

“We're not sure it will happen, but it's important to understandwe're not out of this yet,” Cheney said. “We're not admittingdefeat yet. If we quit we lose, but if we keep working, we'llhave a chance.”