Senate Democrats struggling to advance a small business lending and tax bill may try to attach a long-stalled package of agricultural disaster assistance to the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nev., likely will seek a vote this week to advance a new version of the small business bill that wraps in both the agricultural aid sought by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln , D-Ark., and a $30 billion lending fund for small businesses that survived a crucial test vote July 22.

Republicans objected to including the disaster aid in a supplemental spending bill headed for a final vote in the House Tuesday.

A version of the disaster assistance also was dropped earlier from a bill that extended unemployment benefits through Nov. 30.

Democrats might need to add some revenue increases or spending cuts to keep the expanded bill from adding to the deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the small business bill without the agriculture provisions would reduce the deficit by $1.1 billion over 10 years.

The Senate on July 22 advanced the $30 billion lending fund on a 60-37 vote, with GOP Sens. George V. Voinovich of Ohio and George LeMieux of Florida joining all Democrats in favor. LeMieux has said he would not support the underlying small-business bill unless Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., worked out an agreement to allow additional amendments.

Voinovich has not publicly commented on his voting plans on future procedural motions.

The small business bill could return to the Senate floor as soon as Tuesday afternoon.