Campaign Reform Moves Toward Vote

Campaign finance legislation headed toward its first test votes on the Senate floor with deadlock looming as the likely outcome. Lawmakers scheduled a pair of votes for today, but each proposal required a 60-vote majority to prevail. The bill has the backing of all 45 Senate Democrats but only four Republicans. The bill, drafted by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), would ban “soft money,” or unlimited, unregulated donations from unions, corporations and others to the two parties.