The Senate will reconvene at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 7, and resume consideration of a bill (S 2320) that would boost funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

A cloture vote on the measure is slated for approximately 10:45 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he expected cloture to be invoked.

The chamber will recess between 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. for weekly policy lunches.

Frist indicated that he thought the chamber could pass the LIHEAP measure as early as Tuesday.

“I hope that if cloture is invoked, we can work out an agreement to finish that bill in short order,” he said.

Senators must file second-degree amendments to the LIHEAP measure by 10:30 a.m. Sponsored by Maine Republican Olympia J. Snowe, the LIHEAP bill would shift $1 billion included for LIHEAP in a recent budget reconciliation law from fiscal 2007 to the current fiscal year.

Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and John Ensign, R-Nev., have submitted a first-degree substitute amendment that would distribute the extra $1 billion in a way they say would be equitable to Southern states. On Monday, James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., submitted another first-degree amendment that deals with natural gas production on public lands.

As soon as the chamber finishes LIHEAP, it will continue debate on lobbying reform legislation (S2349), which came to the floor Monday. Frist said he hoped the Senate would take it up again Tuesday.

The Senate Rules Committee and the Governmental Affairs Committee have both advanced bills on the topic (S 2349, S 2128). On Monday, members adopted by unanimous consent a GOP leadership-backed substitute amendment that combines the two bills for floor action.

Trent Lott, R-Miss., is the point man ensured with ushering the legislation to passage. He has promised to achieve that goal within three days.

Democratic leaders, however, are still considering how difficult they want to make Lott’s job. Democrats have a list of at least 17 amendments they want to offer.

Among these, Barack Obama, D-Ill., plans to relaunch an effort to create an independent Office of Public Integrity within the legislative branch. The addition has support on both sides of the aisle, but was blocked in committee by Ethics Chairman George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, who said it would politicize his panel.

Frist also could ask the Senate to pass another increase in the federal debt limit this week.

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow has warned Congress multiple times — most recently Monday — that it must pass a $781 billion increase in the debt limit before the mid-March recess, or push the government into its first-ever default. The limit currently stands at $8.184 trillion; the increase would drive it close to $9 trillion.

In his letter Monday, Snow said he has tapped civil service retirement and disability funds to temporarily stave off the debt limit.

Senate Democrats have called for a full debate on a debt limit increase, which they would seek to amend to fully restore “pay-as-you-go” budget rules that would require new mandatory spending and tax cuts to be offset. They’ve accused Republicans of delaying the measure to avoid debate.

Frist is consulting with Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., but no final decisions have been made on what to do, according to Frist Chief of Staff Eric Ueland.

During wrap-up, Frist reiterated warnings of late nights this week.

“Members are reminded that we have a full week ahead,” he said, “and to plan their schedules accordingly.”