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What is the law on the Senate voting rules?
I was under the impression that once a Senator had been elected, he or she would not have voting privileges. But now the Senator from MA has been voting on several bills. Am I wrong, or is this the way it is supposed to be???
4 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavorite Answer
A political party needs 60 votes to pass legislation, the senator you're referring to is the 41st senator in the minority party, which means they can block legislation/law. So the Democrats had 60 seats, but lost one in Massachusetts, which means they have 59, and the minority party (Republicans) have 41 seats in the Senate, which means they can block legislation from passing into law. That's what the whole big deal was about, health care can't be passed into law.
- tonalc2Lv 71 decade ago
Do you mean the interim Senator? Paul Kirk is still senator until Brown is seated, and that won't happen for a week or so, so in the meantime Kirk can continue to vote in the Senate.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
WHAT are you babbling about?
All senators are permitted to vote on bills.
Mass. has two senators - Kerry and Kirk.
Brown hasn't been sworn in yet.
DARKREAP - YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG.
IT DOES NOT TAKE 60 VOTES TO PASS ANYTHING ANYWHERE.
IT TAKES 60 VOTES TO BREAK A FILIBUSTER.
IT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THING.
LEARN SOMETHING YOU MORON.