Senate Likely Won’t Take up Slavery Apology Until Next Year

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin (D) said Wednesday that the Senate this month will not take up his long-awaited resolution to prompt the U.S. government to apologize for slavery.

Harkin said the Senate’s legislative schedule is too cramped to consider the resolution, although he emphasized it will be introduced later, probably in early 2009. The House already passed a resolution on July 29, but the Senate only has two and a half weeks of scheduled sessions before a target adjournment date of Sept. 26. The chamber is not likely to reconvene until after the election