Question: Are there any more filibuster opportunities for the GOP for the stimulus bill?

[backscatter712]

I know, it's already beaten 60 votes today, and the official cloture vote will be tomorrow, and will mirror today's vote.

Let me get this straight. The bill goes to the House/Senate conference committee, they wrangle out a deal, so both the House and the Senate end up with identical bills.

Then the House and the Senate vote on that bill, and if it passes that vote, it goes to the President's desk, he signs it, and it becomes law.

So when the bill comes back from conference committee for final approval in the Senate, could the Republicans filibuster it?

[rpannier]

1. Yes I think they can

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

2. If I recall my Roberts Rules, no.

Once closure is invoked, all discussion ceases. They have to vote.

As for the final bill that comes out of the joint committee, there might be a chance for debate, but I don't think so. I'm weak on that area of procedure.

[tritsofme]

3. The conference report will also be subject to filibuster.

That means the House will have to cave in a bunch of areas to make a bill that will pass the Senate.

[MiniMe]

4. After the House and Senate work out their differences, there will

be another vote for cloture. So yes, they can filibuster at that point. And we don't know if Snow, Collins, and Specter will hang in at that point.

[pinto]

5. The cloture vote was today's action. Tomorrow the bill is voted on, simple majority.

(The Collins/Nelson amendment became the Senate bill.) That'll pass and it'll go to conference.

When it comes back to the Senate no amendments are allowed, but it's a new vote on the actual bill. From what I understand a filibuster could be held or another cloture vote held to limit debate and get to a vote.

We got 61 votes for cloture today. The compromise bill that comes out of conference is likely to garner the same, imo. I think the committee will present a passable bill - i.e. holding the votes we got today - while setting some funding items aside for separate bills during this Congress.