Good afternoon from Capitol Hill. 

For nearly seven hours yesterday as Senate Democrats tried to figure out the chamber’s schedule for next week, leaders held open a vote to impose sanctions on those involved with a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. The GOP bill ultimately fell short of the 60 votes needed to pass (but not for a lack of time for senators to ruminate on the matter). New Year, same Senate.

Filibuster Fight Fizzles Before it Begins

Democrats are gearing up for an attempt to change Senate rules to allow passage of a sweeping voting reform measure—but, for now, their effort is set to fail.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said he plans to take aim at the 60-vote threshold for most bills in the chamber, at least where it pertains to voting rights. He had initially given a deadline of Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to hold a vote on changing the rules, but that timing is now expected to slip into later next week.