Can Someone Who Understands this Stuff Explain What Happens to the Bill from Here?

[Frank Booth]

How do they reconcile the Senate version with the House version? Are the education and state funding cuts certain to happen, or can the House hold firm?

I know "Google is my friend," but I've seen various opinions, and I'm confused (and a bit worried). Thanks.

[Muttocracy]

1. conference committee

http://senate.gov/legislative/common/briefing/Senate_legislative_process.htm#4

[Nite Owl]

2. What isn't clear to me

is after the House/Senate conference when it goes back to the Senate will it again need 60 votes or just 51?

[Muttocracy]

3. good question - I assume it's 51 minimum but 60 for cloture again. nt

[Nite Owl]

5. If it's 51 then we stand a good

chance of having the conference with the house fixing this up. This whole Senate thing will have all been a show. I guess they wouldn't let something like that happen though, it's probably 60 again.

[Jennicut]

6. Hmmm, maybe the Rethugs won't stop it by the time it comes to vote on it again

[Better Believe It]

9. It needs 51 votes to pass the Senate

and 60 votes to invoke cloture if, and this is a big if, if the Republicans actually plan to block the bill with an actual filibuster.

Of course, Senator Reid has agreed to not bring legislation up for a vote on the mere threat of a Republican filibuster so the myth continues that 60 votes are need to pass legislation.

Never mind that the Republicans only needed 51 votes when they had control of the Senate.

We are suppose to forget that little matter.

[Frank Booth]

7. Thank you.

So, it sounds like it could still be quite a while before it gets to our President, assuming (hopefully) Pelosi stands firm like she's claiming she will.

[phaseolus]

4. first thing I thought of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

[Muttocracy]

8. you know, I remember as much from those as I do from 7th and 12th grade civics. nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. I was totally gonna go get that. LOL GMTA

[JeffreyWilliamson]

10. I've been looking into this all afternoon...

Studying up on my conference committee creds. The long and the short of it is that once it goes to conference we can hash out a compromise between houses and add and take out some things, but some of the Republican changes will remain. This was the problem with letting them edit some of it from the beginning. From what I understand, any Republican Senator can protest any addition we make in the final bill and possibly have it stricken out as well, (although that will be difficult).

Bottom line is we will get a decent bill but we got suckered. Pelosi and Reid need to know when to stand firm and they rolled over. Not good.

Also, Pelosi needs to be added to the spell-checker.