Ilir Zherka, executive director of DC Vote, an advocacy group that strongly supports the bill, emphasized that the bill "only provides representation in the House."

Zherka pointed out that in June, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee included an amendment by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, that spells out that the bill does not mean the District of Columbia can get two senators.

DC Vote and other supporters have been optimistic that Reid would bring the bill to the Senate floor, but Thursday marked the first time any sort of real time frame had been discussed. A vote was supposed to take place before the August recess, but time ran out.

The schedule could still change, Reid said Thursday. But even with an uncertain schedule and Bennett's prediction of failure, Zherka was optimistic the bill would pass.

"We believe we have the votes to pass this bill in the Senate," Zherka said. "A filibuster of this bill would be unconscionable. No senator has filibustered a voting rights bill since the days of segregation."

If the bill passes the Senate, and because the measure is different than what the House passed earlier this year, it would either need to be re-approved by the House, or the House and Senate would work out the differences and each pass the same version of the bill. The measure would then go to the president.

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Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche and Bob Bernick Jr.

E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com