Why Do We Need 60 Votes Again?

[Me.]

I thought that once we got cloture we only needed 51.

[NewJeffCT]

1. I think it's another 60 to actually bring HCR to a vote

the first vote was to begin debate.

[Skink]

2. Becaue the republicans have a majority.

[doc03]

3. You know what the Republicans would do? They would tie

funding the wars into this HCB and if they didn't get their way they would say Democrats aren't supporting the troops. GWB got virtually anything he wanted that way.

[HughMoran]

4. That was only to START debate. It will happen again to STOP debate

Holy crap, I thought this was common knowledge around here by now.

[Me.]

6. My Head Spins

I kept hearing that after this...51, 51, 51. So what is Reid going to have to give away next?

[HughMoran]

7. Harry needs to keep repeating "what part of "opt out" do the 4 Dempublicans not understand?"

:D

[asjr]

5. This is just the second episode in the national

soap opera. Not all the players in D.C. have had their 15 minutes of infamy. We have to have this because we need to know what happened in the first episode. Will Blanch get another shot at selling us all out? Can Harry use his mild-mannered manners to talk openly and directly to us? How many are going to work for the public option? Tune in tomorrow folks, for another day in the life of Health Reform. I read somewhere the Guiding Light soap opera lasted 50 years. I don't know about the rest of you but I don't have that many years left.

[WI_DEM]

8. because they needed 60 votes just to begin debate and then we need 60 votes

just to get it voted on.

[Romulox]

9. Because the Senators agreed amongst themselves to shitcan democracy...

The 60 votes thing is a bogus, made-up rule. It is not found in the Constitution or any statute or law--it is a "procedural rule" instituted by the Senate itself.

Like any other Senate rule, the 60 vote cloture rule may be changed on a simple majority (51) vote.

[Xenotime]

10. I thought we had full power in the Senate. I don't see why it's so hard.