Boss 302
Pursuit Driver
I saw on CBSN a news report on Biden and the filibuster. I was surprised to see a CBS reporter calling Biden out on his continuous flip-flopping of the current filibuster rule. The Dems seem to hate that 60 votes are needed to end a filibuster. That's only because they don't have a 60 seat majority. I decided to check into some of the history of the filibuster.
It was in 1975, the Senate revised it's cloture rule so that 60 votes could end debate on a bill. That was the 94th US Congress with the Democrats being the majority in the Senate. At the time, the Democrats held 61 seats in the Senate. Now lets fast forward to 2010 when Obamacare was passed. At that time the Senate consisted of 58 Democrats, 2 Independents who caucused with the Democrats, and 40 Republicans. It would appear the Senate Democrats were more than happy with the 60 votes necessary to end a filibuster as it prevented the Republicans from stopping the legislation. Both Obama and Biden were happy with the rule back then. They only became opposed to the rule after their party lost the majority.
It was in 1975, the Senate revised it's cloture rule so that 60 votes could end debate on a bill. That was the 94th US Congress with the Democrats being the majority in the Senate. At the time, the Democrats held 61 seats in the Senate. Now lets fast forward to 2010 when Obamacare was passed. At that time the Senate consisted of 58 Democrats, 2 Independents who caucused with the Democrats, and 40 Republicans. It would appear the Senate Democrats were more than happy with the 60 votes necessary to end a filibuster as it prevented the Republicans from stopping the legislation. Both Obama and Biden were happy with the rule back then. They only became opposed to the rule after their party lost the majority.
