I'll try and find the article later this evening about Trent Lott moving up the elections for Majority Leader. He struck while the iron was hot, and sewed it up early.Can't wait to hear more! I'm also curious as to Common Tator's contention that Bush tried to overrule the "new rules." I'm not so sure, but I'd love to know one way or the other.
From Hopes by Democrats For Filibusters Fade; Rosenbaum, David e; The New York Times; Nov 18, 2002; A.16 (I can't link it as it's from a subscriber source):
The question of what can be passed by the Senate by a simple majority and what requires a super majority of 60 votes revolves around rules so arcane that few lawmakers have mastered them.Hmmm.Boiled down to their essence, here is how the rules work: Every year, Congress is supposed to approve a big budget measure called a reconciliation bill. (Why it is called this and why there is no such bill this year are another story.)
Congressional leaders can fold into the reconciliation bill almost any measures involving revenues or involving spending increases or decreases for entitlement programs, programs like Social Security and Medicare under which government benefits are paid automatically to everyone eligible.
Reconciliation bills and their components cannot be filibustered. They can be passed in the Senate by as few as 50 votes and the tie-breaking vote of the vice president. This is how President Bill Clinton's tax increase was approved in 1993. President Bush's tax cuts were adopted last year in a reconciliation bill.
Nothing on a change in rules. Everything on unanimity in Lott's selection as floor leader.