Dems won't bust filibuster to get Covid relief around GOP, but they have budget reconciliation

[bigtree]

from Vox:

The Senate filibuster means that a bill typically requires 60 votes to move forward. With only 50 Democratic senators (plus tie-breaker Vice President-elect Kamala Harris), that’s a nearly insurmountable barrier. But the budget reconciliation process exempts certain legislation that primarily affects taxes and spending from the filibuster, meaning the 50 Senate Democrats can pass it on their own.

That makes reconciliation the most crucial process for the Biden presidency, through which his legislative agenda will live or die.

Not everything can pass through budget reconciliation. It likely rules out measures like a minimum wage increase, or DC and Puerto Rico statehood, or updates to the Voting Rights Act, or gerrymandering reform.

Still, it’s plausible that Biden and his allies in Congress can use budget reconciliation to accomplish large swaths of his agenda, including paid parental and sick leave, universal pre-K, a $3,000 child allowance, universal housing vouchers, a massive investment in clean energy, expanded health care coverage, and more.

...budget reconciliation's success depends on all Democrats being in agreement.

Not everything in the Biden plan can be included in reconciliation, but stimulus, vaccine distribution, and other related measures can be passed under the act.

Thoughts?

[wcmagumba]

1. Could individual stimulus payments be passed this way? nt

[bigtree]

4. yes

...

[Irish_Dem]

2. Why when R's have the majority, they can ram through anything they want quicky?

When Dems have the majority they seem to be bound by all kinds of rules and regulations and cannot get anything done?

I don't get it.

[regnaD kciN]

5. Republicans used the reconciliation process as well...

...and, even then, they couldn't accomplish everything they wanted (ACA repeal, for example was part of a budget-reconciliation bill) due to defections on their side.

What they primarily accomplished was judicial appointments, for which there is no longer a filibuster.

[Irish_Dem]

9. Thanks.

[spooky3]

11. Are approvals of Biden cabinet nominees subject to simple majority vote? Nt

[sweetloukillbot]

13. Didn't they bust that filibuster a while ago to get Obama's appointments through?

[former9thward]

15. Yes

[bigtree]

14. I think a cloture vote comes first (60 votes)

...and McConnell has to allow the votes on the floor.

After cloture it's a simple majority.

[TheRealNorth]

3. Isn't this how the Republicans passed their tax cuts and tried to gut the ACA?

If its okay for them, I have no qualms with using it to our advantange.

[CatWoman]

6. while they are at it

GET RID OF THOSE FUCKING TRUMP TAX CUTS!!!!!

[regnaD kciN]

7. FWIW, Sanders will now be Chair of the Senate Budget Committee...

...and, on Colbert last night, indicated that he was working on techniques for essentially passing the entire Biden economic agenda via reconciliation.

[bigtree]

17. yep. a powerful position

...remember Fritz Hollings in that job.

Kent Conrad.

[mucifer]

8. two words Joe Manchin. I bet he will try to block anything decent

[bigtree]

10. he won't likely block

...he'll leverage.

[Midnightwalk]

12. Isn't it once per year?

So if they do something fast that’s it for 2021 unless they fix the filibuster.

Or if republicans go along with something else. Yeah right.

The only other lever is to refuse passing some other must pass cannot do without legislation which means the defense bill or keeping government funded.

Doing away with the filibuster is risky if and when the republicans have the house, senate and presidency, but I worry we will lose the midterms if we don’t enact legislation.

Problem is Manchin and maybe others might not vote to reform the filibuster.

[bigtree]

16. right. One a year.

...