Dems Need at Least Two GOP Votes Today for Jobs Bill

The Senate votes today on whether to proceed with Reid's bill, which includes tax breaks for companies that hire unemployed workers and for small businesses that purchase new equipment. It also would renew the Highway Trust Fund and help state and local governments finance large infrastructure projects.

Democrats have 59 votes in the Senate, and one Democrat, Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey will miss today's vote after learning last week he is suffering from stomach lymphoma. That means the party needs two Republican votes to overcome a filibuster.

Reid said on Friday he thinks there is at least a 50-50 chance that Sen. Scott Brown, the new GOP senator from Massachusetts will support the package. Brown told the Huffington Post on Friday he was "still analyzing" the bill. He is coming under new pressure to support the measure from the labor-backed group Americans United for Change, which is running an ad asking, "Will Scott Brown keep his promise to vote for Mass. jobs, be independent?"

Senate Democrats are also turning to their two most moderate Republican colleagues, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, for support. Snowe has been holding out for extended tax breaks on loans and a plan to give stimulus funds to small businesses, Politico reports, while Collins as of Friday wanted a handful of more tax provisions, such as an extended tax credit allowing companies to write off some research and development costs.