Healthcare reform bill clears U.S. Senate filibuster

[MattusMaximus]

Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle

Seems as if the two teams stuck to their guns. It was Dems 60 and Repubs 39 (1 didn't vote), with nobody crossing the aisle.

Now the actual debate will begin, without the threat of a healthcare reform killing filibuster. I think the GOP just lost their last, best chance to stop this thing and hand a big political defeat to Obama - good.

At least now we can move forward on this thing, and it's about damn time. I think we'll see a finished bill signed by Obama by about the end of January or beginning of February at the latest.

Let the rightwing whining begin

 

[KoihimeNakamura]

Doubtful. Reid has to do a LOT of political maneuvering to get votes and it's really unlikely it'll reconcile with the House version.

 

[XBoxWarrior]

Doubtful. Reid has to do a LOT of political maneuvering to get votes and it's really unlikely it'll reconcile with the House version.

On what do you base this statement?

Reid has already done some political acrobats to get past cloture. He got Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and even that pesky Lieberman to come along...I would argue that these conservatives will be allowed to depart now, if they chose, and Harry will still have 50 to pass any bill...Biden is obviously a 'yes' vote.

I personally think the Senate bill is a much better jumping off point than the Stupak amended House bill.

 

[Sporanox]

Passing the bill into law is a very real possibility at this point. On the other hand, if that happens then the Blue Dogs have a good chance of getting voted out...heh.

I'll wait and see.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

So after debate and voting on amendments to this bill, will it still need a supermajority to pass the floor vote from the Senate or just a simple majority?

I'm trying to count how many more times they'll need to get all 60 votes before this becomes a law. At least once more (after the bill is merged with the House version), but I think it might need 3 more times (to pass the current bill, again for cloture and floor vote on the merged version).

Meanwhile, what are the major differences between Reid's version and the version that passed in the House? It sounds to me like they're an awful lot more similar than they are different. (Though I suspect the current version won't pass the Senate. I predict it will take changing the public option at least to a triggered thing.)

 

[Thunder]

the final bill will have a public-option.

...with a 3 year or more trigger...and state's right to opt-out.

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

the final bill will have a public-option.

...with a 3 year or more trigger...and state's right to opt-out.

That sounds about right.

Do you know the answer to my question about the majority needed to pass? What I'm really asking, I guess, is whether they'll have to overcome another filibuster when it's time for the final vote, or did the cloture vote already clear a path for a final (simple majority) vote?

 

[Unabogie]

That sounds about right.

Do you know the answer to my question about the majority needed to pass? What I'm really asking, I guess, is whether they'll have to overcome another filibuster when it's time for the final vote, or did the cloture vote already clear a path for a final (simple majority) vote?

I think it's two more times. Once to "end debate", after which if it passes with 50 votes (+ Biden) then it goes to be merged with the House bill. After that, there is one more time to approve the merged bill (where there will be more debate and there could then be a cloture vote) and send the bill to President Obama.

 

[Thunder]

That sounds about right.

Do you know the answer to my question about the majority needed to pass? What I'm really asking, I guess, is whether they'll have to overcome another filibuster when it's time for the final vote, or did the cloture vote already clear a path for a final (simple majority) vote?

they will need 60 votes to get past the debating...so they can finally vote.

im not sure, however, if they can filibuster once the final compromise bill comes through. i sure hope not.

anyone?

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

I think it's two more times. Once to "end debate", after which if it passes with 50 votes (+ Biden) then it goes to be merged with the House bill. After that, there is one more time to approve the merged bill (where there will be more debate and there could then be a cloture vote) and send the bill to President Obama.

Sounds like it'd be 3 more, then. The merged bill would be re-introduced as a new bill, wouldn't it? (So they need a cloture vote to start debate and another one to pass the merged bill.)

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

they will need 60 votes to get past the debating...so they can finally vote.

im not sure, however, if they can filibuster once the final compromise bill comes through. i sure hope not.

anyone?

I don't see why not. That bill will have to be introduced as a new bill. (Similarly, the Reid bill is a merger of the two Senate bills that passed out of committees.)

ETA: I could well be wrong though. I dunno.

 

[Unabogie]

Sounds like it'd be 3 more, then. The merged bill would be re-introduced as a new bill, wouldn't it? (So they need a cloture vote to start debate and another one to pass the merged bill.)

No, the last cloture vote is called something like "motion to consider" and it needs 60 votes. It's not a new bill.

So I'm pretty sure it's only two more times. And really, it's just once, since if you get people like Lieberman and Nelson to vote for cloture on the Senate bill, it's almost inconceivable they'd filibuster the merged bill, assuming they already got their bribes...er...considerations.

 

[balrog666]

The was a procedural vote to allow debate and nothing more.

Several Dem senators stated they were voting only to allow debate and that the current bill would never be allowed to pass.

And that little gesture cost the Dem leaders (and US citizens) billions and billions in future appropriations.

 

[Policenaut]

Anywhere but Washington and this would be bribery. I guess it's no surprise. Washington has worked like this for a long time.

 

[SezMe]

Sounds like it'd be 3 more, then. The merged bill would be re-introduced as a new bill, wouldn't it? (So they need a cloture vote to start debate and another one to pass the merged bill.)

I don't think so. After conference, the bill goes back for an up or down vote; that's it. No more amendments, etc. I don't know if the filibuster comes into play.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle

Seems as if the two teams stuck to their guns. It was Dems 60 and Repubs 39 (1 didn't vote), with nobody crossing the aisle.

Now the actual debate will begin, without the threat of a healthcare reform killing filibuster. I think the GOP just lost their last, best chance to stop this thing and hand a big political defeat to Obama - good.

At least now we can move forward on this thing, and it's about damn time. I think we'll see a finished bill signed by Obama by about the end of January or beginning of February at the latest.

Let the rightwing whining begin

Does this mean we are officially a socialist country? Or do we have to wait until it passes first?

 

[Newtons Bit]

I don't think so. After conference, the bill goes back for an up or down vote; that's it. No more amendments, etc. I don't know if the filibuster comes into play.

They need 60 votes to end debate. That's technically what a filibuster has morphed into. Debate just started.

 

[Tricky]

I think the filibuster attempt was a bad move on the part of the Repubs. It makes it look like they don't even want to discuss it. It is a good thing that it got past this point. That means that it is likely that some form of health care bill will be passed into law.

And that's the main point. Things can be tweaked forever, but not until there's something to tweak. Once health care for all becomes a reality and people see that it's not going to end democracy as we know it, then it will be a lot easier to fix the parts that don't work. Of course it is always possible that the result will be a disaster (and I'm quite sure the Republicans will try to paint it that way) and we can make major "fixes", which might include a return to a system similar to what we have now. Possible, but unlikely, IMO.

Of course, I hope they get a pretty decent bill out the first time beause that will increase the chance that it will become a fait accomplis, with few people, even right wingers, wanting to ditch it completely.

 

[Baylor]

Question

Does the next vote need 50 or 60 votes in the Senate to pass?

 

[Newtons Bit]

Does this mean we are officially a socialist country? Or do we have to wait until it passes first?

I think we will officially be a dumb country. I can understand a UHC system. Everyone gets covered and there's efficiency through volume and decreased (I would hope) paperwork. But a government-run insurance company? WTF?