But Democrats have balked, saying the amendments in question are not germane to the issue on the floor.

With a week until the August recess, Democrats are eager to clear the bill and tout an accomplishment before moving onto a packed floor schedule in the coming days.

But the impasse ensures the two sides will continue haggling over whether to move forward with the bill or drop it altogether before moving onto other business, including an energy bill and Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination.

"My frustration is pretty high," Reid said on the floor.

His comments came after Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who for weeks has been pushing the measure, lambasted Democrats for not giving the GOP a chance to amend it.

"We could have addressed this issue long before now, give it the attention it deserves rather than treating it as a mere afterthought in the legislative process that we've got to ram in there and deny the minority the opportunity to offer a few amendments," the usually staid Maine moderate thundered on the floor.

Moments before the vote was about to be called, Reid tried to cut a deal: Allow the GOP to offer three amendments and kill disaster and agriculture relief funding.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said three GOP amendments would not be enough, though he sounded optimistic that a deal could be reached later.

"I think we're getting closer," McConnell said. "I think there's a chance we may be able to make some significant progress very soon. In the meantime ... the leader and I can continue to try to unsnarl this."

But Reid shot back: "There's nothing to unsnarl."

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), an architect of the bill, pressed McConnell on the precise number of amendments his side would be satisfied with.

But McConnell punted. "That is the sort of thing that the majority leader and I work on every day, ... and we ought to do that."

Pressed further, McConnell called for regular order, prompting the cloture vote to begin and effectively cutting off the Louisiana Democrat.

At the center of the deal making is Sen. George LeMieux, the Republican from Florida, whose economically distressed home state includes a host of banks and small businesses pushing for the bill.

While he supports the measure, LeMieux said that he's trying to help both sides reach an accommodation.

"It sure would be a shame if it didn't get done," LeMieux said after the vote.

LeMieux also disputed Reid’s suggestions on the floor he would vote for cloture if the disaster money were removed and said it’s largely up to the majority leader to get the bill passed.