Senate Defeats Controversial Regulatory Reform Amendment

The Senate on Thursday voted down an amendment that would have required federal agencies to carefully assess the impact of proposed regulations on small businesses.

The vote was 53 for the amendment and 46 opposed. The measure needed 60 votes to pass. Six Democrats crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans.

The vote on the amendment, which was sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), came after several hours of fiercely partisan debate on the Senate floor.