Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters yesterday that he would definitely not bring the D.C. Voting Rights Act to the floor before September. This is pretty much what we’ve been expecting for the last week or so, but it’s now officially confirmed. It’s a little bit disappointing to have to continue to wait, but considering Reid also described the bill’s status as being “close” to having 60 votes, which would be enough votes to pass the bill without a filibuster, it seems like the prudent thing to do to wait a little longer and see if those votes can finally be rounded up. A recent Roll Call story indicated that supporters believed they already had 60 votes a week ago, but apparently Reid doesn’t agree.

In a brief joint statement with Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Reid said he wanted to bring up the bill when it had a good chance of victory — but that he wouldn’t necessarily wait for 60 committed votes. In the mean time, voting rights supporters will be spending their August trying to convince a few more senators to vote for the bill.

It’s also interesting to note that both Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), another of the bill’s sponsors, and former Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.), who has lobbied for the measure, told Roll Call that they thinkg President Bush is not likely to use a veto. In March the White House issued a veto threat on the measure.