[Freee-dame]

This was the vote for cloture not on the bill.

Which was our only hope. It takes 60 to stop debate and bring it up for a vote. They only need 50 + Biden to pass the legislation. It's over.

They should stop using words like "cloture" which people don't understand. They could just call it the vote to stop debate and go to a vote. Having the population not understand is a basic tenet of Congress. Personal power is their most important principle.

[Smogger]

I dunno about that. Geez I know people are DUMB. But even someone who slept through government outta know what cloture is.

[PhiKapMom]

You are correct about the word cloture — you have to vote no to continue the debate. They still need 60 votes on this bill because of the rules put in place by Lott/Dems so nothing could be rammed through the Senate but they have the 60 with the three turncoats. It used to be 51 but they made all those quirky rules which have never been rescinded as far as I know.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

The cloture concept isn't too difficult to understand. They pass it to prevent a filibuster from preventing the bill from advancing to the floor for final majority vote. In the old days, the filibuster actually occurred (see “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington”). Now, they just say it might occur, and the cloture vote kills it.