The February 1961 Senate vote was 25 to 14. By that time seven southern states had withdrawn their Senators from Congress. With those 14 anti-tarrif votes the bill would have failed 28-25. It was clear it was never going to pass as written.
The February 1961 Senate vote was 25 to 14. By that time seven southern states had withdrawn their Senators from Congress. With those 14 anti-tarrif votes the bill would have failed 28-25. It was clear it was never going to pass as written.
All that would have been needed would have been to flip a Senator or two. That could easily have been done by throwing a few bones to them in the form of adding something produced in their state to the list of items to be subject to the tariff, promising some infrastructure project paid for with federal money to be built in their state, etc. It would have passed.