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Thanks for the info.

OK, I feel really ashamed of myself for not knowing this....(I need to get a Government for Dummies book...;)

HOWEVER, here is my question. You have a bill, with several amendments attached. Can some amendments pass and some not? Or do they vote on the entire bill at some point, and all amendments either pass or fail along with the bill.

And I agree, this is political grandstanding at it's best (WORST).

Thanks!
Lisa

LisaMalia wrote:
HOWEVER, here is my question. You have a bill, with several amendments attached. Can some amendments pass and some not? Or do they vote on the entire bill at some point, and all amendments either pass or fail along with the bill.

The "Senate in a nutshell" version works like this:

A bill comes up for debate.
As the bill is debated, amendments may be proposed. Each amendment to the bill is voted on. Amendments that pass modify (or add to) the bill. Amendments that are rejected are gone forever (or until a Senator proposes them again, usually on another bill).
After all the debate, and all of the amendments have been voted on, there is a final vote on the bill as amended. That final vote will either pass or reject the amended bill

The goal for the Democrats is to get things attached to this bill that wouldn't pass on their own. Either that, or to defeat the bill by attaching a "poisonous" amendment, like making the Assault Weapons Ban permanent. If they get something so bad added that the bill will fail the final vote, then they defeat the entire bill. OTOH, if the final bill passes, anything they get added to it will pass with it.