Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, (D-NV) said he is encouraging his caucus to oppose cloture on the pending ethics overhaul bill in an effort to force a vote on a politically unpopular deal to turn operations at six U.S. ports over to a United Arab Emirates-owned company.

A surprise move by Sen. Charles E. Schumer, (D-N.Y)., to block the Dubai ports deal caused a ruckus on the Senate floor and temporarily derailed debate. The Senate was in the midst of debating an amendment on the lobbying bill when Schumer said he wanted to talk about that amendment. But in a move that blindsided Republicans, Schumer instead offered an amendment to bar the sale.

The Senate adopted by voice vote an amendment by Christopher J. Dodd, (D-CT)., that would extend the gift ban in the lobbying overhaul bill (S 2349) to include meals. The action came after the Senate rejected, 44-55, an amendment that would have restored Democratic-supported provisions stripped from an earlier version of the bill, including the meal ban and allowing members to vote on the full text of a bill in an open conference meeting.

Majority Leader Boehner was quoted Tuesday as saying he expects the House to take up lobby reform legislation in April. Meanwhile, former House Ethics Chairman Hefley and Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., a former member of the committee, Tuesday offered their own package of changes to House rules. The Hefley-Hulsof package would require pre-approval and prompt public disclosure of privatly funded travel, public disclosure of and new reporting requirements on gifts, and changes to the process of investigating potential rules violations.