Thus, Obama, Reid and Co. have much legislative horse-trading ahead of them on an assortment of items poised for consideration before Congress' monthlong August break.
Slowing it all down will be Senate hearings and debate on appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor's fitness for the Supreme Court. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings are set to begin July 13, followed by what's expected to be a robust two weeks of committee and floor debate.
Democrats want her confirmed before Congress leaves for its summer vacation. Republicans have complained that her nomination is moving too fast. But they have struggled to raise public opposition to her confirmation without alienating Hispanics, the fastest-growing demographic and increasing powerful voting bloc.
On policy, Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing to begin votes by month's end on health care, the main work of Kennedy's public life. Obama has urged Congress to finish work by the end of the year on the bills designed control health costs and make coverage available to about 47 million people who lack it.
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Kennedy's health committee, led in his absence by Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, could meet as soon as the coming week to complete its version of the bill, which Obama has said reflects many of his goals. That includes a government health insurance option to compete with private plans.
At the same time, the Senate Finance Committee chaired by Montana Sen. Max Baucus is drafting a companion measure aimed at winning a bipartisan compromise. The government-run option for coverage is unlikely to be included in that version.
Senate committees also are set to tackle and energy bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. Here, too, deep regional divisions among Democrats undermine prospects of nailing down 60 votes in favor of it.
House passage of the climate change bill on a 219-212 vote last month provided an instructional preview of the Senate debate. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the vote transformational, for the broad effects it would have on every household, business, industry and farm in the decades ahead. Republicans pointed mainly to higher energy bills for virtually everyone — a lot higher for some.