I don’t think they need 60 votes anymore. I thought Harry changed the rules to simple majority to bring bills to the floor for a vote(went nuclear).
I wish I knew more about this, but from what I gather he didn’t use the Nuclear Option to change the filibuster rules. Rather he used it to change the rules on amending bills.
Still the precedent is there for some future Senate to use for changing filibuster rules. It’s unfortunate in a way. Needing 60 votes helps to give the Senate consistency from one election to the next. (If 60 Senators support it today, odds are that you won’t get 60 to repeal it next year.)
Hopefully we can get enough Dems to support repealing Obamacare without needing to change the filibuster rule.
This “nuclear fart” means that the Repubs are not allowed to add amendments to bills if 51 senators say no. It had been 60.