WASHINGTON, DC - After the U.S. Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture on the Wall Street reform bill, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), a senior member of the Banking Committee, today issued the following statement:

"Republicans have been slow walking Wall Street reform for some time now. Tonight's vote was a speed bump that will delay tougher rules for Wall Street, but it won't defeat them.

"We need to swiftly move forward with Wall Street reform as well as the supplemental appropriations bill, which contains emergency assistance for our troops in the field and disaster relief for people in Rhode Island and other flood ravaged states.

"Another casualty of this vote is the critical tax extenders bill. Consideration of that legislation, which includes unemployment insurance, COBRA health benefits, and fiscal relief for states to help save jobs, now gets kicked further down the road.

"I hope that Majority Leader Reid will let it be known that he plans to keep the Senate working around the clock and through Memorial Day weekend until we address these urgent priorities.

"The American people want us to work together. I was pleased that two Republicans were willing to put partisanship aside. I hope more of our colleagues will change their mind and help us get to work. No one around here deserves a vacation until we tackle the problems our constituents sent us here to deal with."