Mass. Sen. Scott Brown breaks with fellow GOP senators to support Democratic jobs bill

more images

more images

Brown breaks with GOP to support jobs bill

WASHINGTON — The Senate’s newest member says he will break ranks Monday with fellow Republicans and support a Democratic jobs bill in an important procedural vote.

The vote of Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown gets Democrats closer to the 60 they would need to end debate and vote on passage of the bill. They need one more Republican vote because Democrat Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey is expected to be absent because he is ill.

Brown says the bill is not perfect but he will support it. Brown was elected last month to fill the seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy. His election deprived Democrats of the 60 votes needed to end filibusters.