Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday Democrats are prepared to give in to House Republicans in the two-week old standoff over the Federal Aviation Administration. But other Democrats appear less willing to give in and could put a kink in Reid’s plan.

UPDATE:  Democrats have walked that back, and now say there won’t be a deal, setting the stage to keep the partial shutdown going until September.  Read the latest HERE.

Reid told reporters he’s prepared to accept the House’s version of a bill temporarily reauthorizing the FAA. If no other senator objects that means the stare-down will end and the FAA can soon reopen.

“Sometimes you have to step back and find out what’s best for the country,” Reid said Tuesday.

Minutes later, a spokesman for Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-Va.), emailed to say: “Not over til it’s over.” (Note: so true — TN learned minutes later Democrats wouldn’t agree to the House’s FAA bill.)

Reid would need the agreement of all senators to go ahead with his plan to accept the House GOP bill, send it to the president, and re-open the FAA. That statement from the Rockefeller aide suggests that agreement may not be easy to get.

Indeed, a Senate Democratic aide emailed moments ago to say the situation is “at an impasse.”

Here’s a transcript of Reid’s remarks. You can listen to the audio here.

Todd Zwillich: If Republicans don’t accept a clean temporary extension to the FAA after you’re on the floor by the end of the day will you accept the House version and re-open the FAA?

Senator Reid: Yes.  I have said we have 80,000 jobs at least on the line.  In Nevada, as an example, we have a new airport tower there that they started the construction about two weeks ago, all those people have been laid off.  That’s a huge project, nearly a $100 million project.

Barbara Boxer just told me they have problem with the control tower in Palm Springs and as I understood it  they’ve shut down the construction on that and they only have one there so that’s difficult.

The Essential Air Services is a program I believe in but I also believe that $3500 per passenger is a little extreme, that’s what Ely Neva is and I do my best to protect the state but sometimes you have to be reasonable,  I think, as we learned with this big deal we’ve just done. Sometimes you have to step back and do what’s best by the country and not be bound by some of your own personal issues. I’m willing to give that up I hope the other Senators would do the same.