60 Vote Argument in the Senate

by: Matt Stoller

Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 13:14

I'm watching C-Span 2 on the FISA bill, and there was an interesting argument between Harry Reid and Chris Dodd about whether Dodd's amendment should require 60 votes. Reid's argument was that the Republicans will filibuster anything that doesn't get 60, so a supermajority is effectively the real rule of the Senate. Of course, it was Reid's choice to made the Intelligence version of the bill and not the Judiciary version the base bill. This means that retroactive immunity requires 60 votes to strip out instead of 60 votes to insert. This is such bad faith from the Majority Leader.

Barbara Boxer is speaking now, so hopefully Dodd will have enough support when spending floor time to fight on this. The Senate has a lot to get done, so if Dodd can occupy enough time on the floor, Reid might have to pull the bill.

Senator Feingold has more.

Matt Stoller :: 60 Vote Argument in the Senate

Tags: FISA, chris dodd, Harry Reid, (All Tags)

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60 Vote Argument in the Senate | 5 comments

I was listening to that exchange, too (4.00 / 3)

Dodd should call Reid's (and McConnell's) bluff -- and say, "No, I'm going to propose my amendment, and if the other side wants to prevent cloture on my amendment, then they can haul their asses up to the dais and speak and actually filibuster until we have to go away for Xmas and stop pissing on the Constitution. Or, they can let us have a majority vote on removing immunity."

The cognitive dissonance was even getting to Reid. He was coughing and having trouble speaking, because he knew he was lying to Dodd.

And did anyone ever get an answer from Reid on why he chose to simply disregard Dodd's hold?

by: Ron @ Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 18:25:22 PM UTC

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Wait, back up (4.00 / 2)

Reid's argument was that the Republicans will filibuster anything that doesn't get 60

But, the Democrats are filibustering the current bill. Why is a Republican filibuster a killer in Reid's book, but a Democratic filibuster not?

by: mcc @ Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 18:27:43 PM UTC

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Thanks to (0.00 / 0)

Senator Dodd for his leadership! and Senator Feingold too!!!

by: Metrix @ Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 19:24:46 PM UTC

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I'm Confused! (0.00 / 0)

Which party does Reid belong to, again?

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 19:33:14 PM UTC

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Which party? (0.00 / 0)

The governing conservative majority, Paul.

Question, why does Reid have to "responsibly" pass bad bills when the alternative, no bill at all, is preferrable?

by: David Kowalski @ Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 22:01:28 PM UTC

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