Hopes for a quick finish to the Senate's Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill faded Thursday, as senators from both parties used the must-pass measure as an opportunity to offer a host of unrelated amendments.

A frustrated Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va., told reporters Thursday afternoon he expected debate on the measure (HR 1586) to be completed next week.

Both he and Byron L. Dorgan, D-N.D., chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security, placed blame for what Rockefeller termed a "sort of" debate on the measure on the steady stream of non-germane amendments offered by their colleagues.

"Virtually every amendment has nothing to do with the FAA reauthorization bill," complained Dorgan.

The amendments pending to the bill include: one by Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to impose discretionary spending caps for fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013; a proposal by Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., to reauthorize the Washington, D.C., school voucher program; and one by South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint to impose a two-year moratorium on earmarks.

On Thursday evening, the Senate by unanimous consent made a long list of amendments in order, including the offerings from DeMint, Lieberman and Sessions, as well as FAA-specific amendments.