Do both houses have to have a full vote on the final compromise?

[DuaneBidoux]

Forgive if this has been asked. Will the Senate be voting again on the compromise between the House and Senate bill or is it the committee of the House and Senate members who make the final decision?

Everyone seems to be acting like it's a done deal on the Senate side which makes me wonder.

[stopbush]

1. My understanding is that it can pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes.

And that Biden would provide the tie-breaking vote if it somehow came out 50-50.

[Jersey Devil]

11. Yes, and today's vote only needed 51 votes as well

The problem is that it still can be filibustered before the final vote and cloture requires 60 votes to get to the final vote.

[stopbush]

20. So the real question is this:

is there a point in the process where the Senate bill gets by the Ds who got special treatment - Nelson, Joe, et al - but it's still possible to strip out their odious compromises and get the final bill to be much more like the House version?

I'm guessing no.

BTW - during dubya's reign, didn't the R's add amendments to bills AFTER they had passed both Houses and were on the way to the president's desk? I seem to recall something along those lines. Anybody know?

[Orangepeel]

23. The merged bill can pass the Senate with 50, IF they get to vote on it.

But they need 60 again for cloture in order to vote.

[Recursion]

2. Both houses have to vote on it

The Senate may still need 60 votes to take up the compromise bill depending on how it was referred.

[KatieW]

3. Yes. After a compromise is made by the committee appoint to reconcile the House and Senate versions

of the bill, it then goes back to both the House and Senate to be voted on again.

[napi21]

4. Yes the final version must pass both houses before it is

sent to the Prez for signature. I know many are celebrating NOW, and I do believe they will get the votes to pass it in Jan. Remember, this vote will need a 1 majority in the House & only 51 in the Senate. Of course Biden can be that 51st vote.

[Vincardog]

6. So it can pass with a majority vote in both houses. The conference committee can pull out the mandat...

the abortion restrictions and put in medicare for all; and they only need 50% +1 right?

[Parker CA]

7. Not correct. See post below.

[Wardoc]

22. The senate can still filibuster after conference. (nt)

[napi21]

25. Well yes, they COULD,, but that would probably kill the bill.

Remember, in the house their bill only passed with 2 votes! They can't afford to lose more than ONE! or the whole thing is dead!

[Parker CA]

5. Vote in the house and senate two more times. One cloture without

debate requiring 60 and then final passage requiring only 51. Same situation for the house. four more votes total...no small hurdle.

[WeDidIt]

8. There is no cloture vote in the House

Cloture is entirely an invention of the Senate.

[Parker CA]

9. There is still a vote requiring sixty in the senate. That's why Lieberman/Nelson

have said that any significant changes will result in losing their votes. I understood that there are four votes left, two in each congressional body, but I very well may be wrong.

[WeDidIt]

12. Yes, there are three more votes

A straight up or down vote in the House, a cloture vote in the Senate, and a final up or down vote in the Senate.

[Parker CA]

15. Got it. Thanks!! Lots of negotiating yet to be completed.

[backscatter712]

10. Yes. Let's hope Stupak and the other fetus fetishists don't hold the bill hostage again...

[kestrel91316]

13. They can filibuster. And if there is the slightest bit of compromise

with the House bill, you know they will. I am afraid the final bill will be the Senate bill with no changes.

[Vincardog]

17. The Senate bill with no changes is unacceptable.

[Jersey Devil]

18. I agree but do expect some changes

The change I would expect every one might be willing to accept is to speed up the effective dates of the provisions of the bill. They also must reconcile how they are going to pay for the bill since the house and senate versions are very different on that. Other than that, unless some new idea pops up that everyone will buy into, I expect very few changes.

[stopbush]

21. And I believe the Senate requires a 3/5ths majority to break a filibuster,

and that means 60 votes, ie: it doesn't mean 3/5ths of members PRESENT.

In effect, the Party threatening a filibuster could all stay home and not be present on the floor of the Senate, but a majority of 60 is still need to vote for cloture or end a filibuster. That means every R could stay home and the Ds would still need the votes of Nelson & Joe to get past the threat of a filibuster and to move on to a vote for a simple majority on the HCR bill. And, as the VP (Biden) only gets to vote in the Senate to break a tie, he isn't allowed to vote for cloture or to break a filibuster.

[tritsofme]

24. This is correct.

However the minority would need to have at least one member present to object to unanimous consent.

[stopbush]

26. Thanks. I stand corrupted, er, corrected.

[Mass]

14. Full vote and possible filibuster in the Senate. The only differences is that the conference report

cannot be amended and that there is no motion to Proceed. However, a motion for cloture is possible (and more than likely) and will require 60 votes.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. If there are changes to one bill or another, yes, that chamber must vote on it.

However, if the House just accepts the Senate bill, only the House would need to vote again, and vice versa.

[Jersey Devil]

19. Why would anyone unrec a string meant only to be informative?

they really should do away with the unrec feature. It's become a joke.