so doesn’t this open the bill up to debate and proposed ammendments from the floor? I’d think that’s better than no debate.
As majority leader, Reid has the right of first recognition and will “fill the amendment tree” which means he’ll propose a bunch of amendments to the number limit so nobody else can propose any amendments.
This is what Cruz was talking about. No debate, no opportunity for amenement, just raw power. Reid disallows any changes, then comes cloture, then Reid proposes an amendment to strike after cloture is achieved, which will require a simple majority for passage. The amendment passes, no other amendments will be allowed, then the vote on the bill and back to the House with Obamacare defunding stripped.
This is why a vote for cloture is a vote for funding Obamacare.
“open the bill up to... proposed ammendments from the floor?”
There are rules about what amendments can be proposed.
I believe, am not sure yet, that Harry has proposed all the amendments that can be offered already -a process called “filling the amendment tree” which he has done 10 or 20 as many times as any other Majority Leader (the Majority gets to propose amendments first).
So, I believe no, there won’t be any amendments.
(Isn’t Senate procedure and the media that hides it grand?)