Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., will vote against a cloture motion to limit debate on the Employee Free Choice Act, business groups said today. Keith Smith, who directs labor policy at the National Association of Manufacturers, said his group expects Specter to announce his decision in a floor speech early this afternoon. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it also was expecting the announcement. Specter's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Specter's opposition could doom the legislation because to pass the bill organized labor needs 60 votes to overcome a Republican filibuster. That means keeping every single Democratic vote, securing a win for Democratic candidate Al Franken in the ongoing Minnesota Senate race and keeping Specter, who voted for cloture when the Senate considered the bill in 2007, on board.
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