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Senate begins debate over budget bill to pass Biden economic relief plan
Source: Washington Post
The Senate plunged into rancorous debate Thursday over a budget bill paving the way for passage of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, with Republicans denouncing Democrats’ go-it-alone approach and insisting the spending is excessive.
Democrats and Biden administration officials countered that the moment has arrived to act quickly on legislation to boost the economy, help improve vaccine distribution and finally curb a pandemic that surged out of control under former president Donald Trump. Despite Biden’s campaign promises of unity and bipartisanship, Democrats appeared ready to leave Republicans behind.
“The costs of inaction are incredibly steep, incredibly lasting. … We have to balance the cost of the plan against the cost of inaction,” said Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, at a Washington Post Live event, saying delay could mean 4 million fewer jobs in the United States this year. “The cost of inaction is the reason for our urgency.”
The House passed the budget legislation on Wednesday, with all Republicans opposed. Under the Senate’s arcane rules, debate on the budget resolution in the Senate will trigger a freewheeling amendment process known as a “vote-a-rama” that begins Thursday afternoon and could last overnight into Friday morning, since there is no limit on amendments.
Democrats and Biden administration officials countered that the moment has arrived to act quickly on legislation to boost the economy, help improve vaccine distribution and finally curb a pandemic that surged out of control under former president Donald Trump. Despite Biden’s campaign promises of unity and bipartisanship, Democrats appeared ready to leave Republicans behind.
“The costs of inaction are incredibly steep, incredibly lasting. … We have to balance the cost of the plan against the cost of inaction,” said Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, at a Washington Post Live event, saying delay could mean 4 million fewer jobs in the United States this year. “The cost of inaction is the reason for our urgency.”
The House passed the budget legislation on Wednesday, with all Republicans opposed. Under the Senate’s arcane rules, debate on the budget resolution in the Senate will trigger a freewheeling amendment process known as a “vote-a-rama” that begins Thursday afternoon and could last overnight into Friday morning, since there is no limit on amendments.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/04/senate-vote-a-rama-biden-economic-relief-stimulus/
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
and these were rules and limitations that were codified in multiple laws. 
And "passing it" in the Senate requires getting rid of the 60-vote filibuster Rule and they don't have 51 votes to do that. So reconciliation allows for a simple majority - IF they can even get that.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44058.pdf (PDF)
Senate
Although the rules, precedents, and practices of the Senate do not place general limits on either the content of amendments that may be offered to legislation or the duration of their consideration, a distinguishing characteristic of the reconciliation process is that specific limits are placed on both. Consideration of reconciliation legislation in the Senate has been governed generally under the terms of Section 310(e) of the Congressional Budget Act. This section provides, in turn, that the provisions of Section 305 of the act concerning the consideration of a budget resolution also apply to the consideration of a reconciliation measure, except as specifically provided otherwise. As a consequence, reconciliation measures, like budget resolutions, are privileged, so motions to proceed to their consideration are not debatable.
Once a motion to proceed is agreed to, the provisions of the Budget Act place specific time limits on debate of a reconciliation bill. Section 310(e)(2) limits total debate time on the measure—including all amendments, motions, or appeals—to 20 hours. This time must be equally divided and controlled by the majority and minority, with debate on any amendment to the measure limited to two hours, equally divided and controlled, and debate on any amendment to an amendment, debatable motion, or appeal limited to one hour, equally divided and controlled. Even after time has expired, Senators may continue to offer amendments and make other motions or appeals, but without further debate. This period is often referred to as a“vote-a-rama.” Although no further debate time is available, the Senate has typically agreed by unanimous consent to consider amendments under accelerated voting procedures, allowing a nominal amount of time to identify and explain an amendment and a 10-minute limit for vote time. Although the Budget Act imposes no procedural limit on the duration of a vote-a-rama, the limit on debate time has meant, historically, that it has been unnecessary to invoke cloture in order to reach a final vote on a reconciliation bill in the Senate.
In addition to limits on debate time, the Budget Act places several limits on the subject matter and budgetary impact in both the measure and any amendments, which may be enforced by points of order Points of order are not self-enforcing, however. A point of order may be raised on the floor against legislation that is alleged to violate these rules at the time it is being considered. In general, the presiding officer may rule on whether the point of order is well taken and, thus, whether the measure, provision, or amendment is in order. In practice, however, it is possible in the Senate to preempt a ruling by the presiding officer by offering a motion to waive the application of points of order related to enforcing the limits associated with the Budget Act. In most cases, the motion to waive requires a vote of at least three-fifths of all Senators duly chosen and sworn (60 votes if there are no vacancies) to be successful. If a waiver motion fails, the presiding officer will then rule the provision or amendment out of order.
Under the terms of Section 313, as discussed above, extraneous provisions are not allowed to be included in the measure or offered as amendments to it. Instructed committees may not include extraneous provisions in the legislative language submitted to the Budget Committee for inclusion in an omnibus reconciliation measure. If a point of order is sustained under this section against a provision in the reconciliation measure as reported, the provision in question is stricken, but further consideration of the bill may proceed. If the point of order is sustained against an amendment or motion, further consideration of that amendment or motion would not be in order.
Although the rules, precedents, and practices of the Senate do not place general limits on either the content of amendments that may be offered to legislation or the duration of their consideration, a distinguishing characteristic of the reconciliation process is that specific limits are placed on both. Consideration of reconciliation legislation in the Senate has been governed generally under the terms of Section 310(e) of the Congressional Budget Act. This section provides, in turn, that the provisions of Section 305 of the act concerning the consideration of a budget resolution also apply to the consideration of a reconciliation measure, except as specifically provided otherwise. As a consequence, reconciliation measures, like budget resolutions, are privileged, so motions to proceed to their consideration are not debatable.
Once a motion to proceed is agreed to, the provisions of the Budget Act place specific time limits on debate of a reconciliation bill. Section 310(e)(2) limits total debate time on the measure—including all amendments, motions, or appeals—to 20 hours. This time must be equally divided and controlled by the majority and minority, with debate on any amendment to the measure limited to two hours, equally divided and controlled, and debate on any amendment to an amendment, debatable motion, or appeal limited to one hour, equally divided and controlled. Even after time has expired, Senators may continue to offer amendments and make other motions or appeals, but without further debate. This period is often referred to as a“vote-a-rama.” Although no further debate time is available, the Senate has typically agreed by unanimous consent to consider amendments under accelerated voting procedures, allowing a nominal amount of time to identify and explain an amendment and a 10-minute limit for vote time. Although the Budget Act imposes no procedural limit on the duration of a vote-a-rama, the limit on debate time has meant, historically, that it has been unnecessary to invoke cloture in order to reach a final vote on a reconciliation bill in the Senate.
In addition to limits on debate time, the Budget Act places several limits on the subject matter and budgetary impact in both the measure and any amendments, which may be enforced by points of order Points of order are not self-enforcing, however. A point of order may be raised on the floor against legislation that is alleged to violate these rules at the time it is being considered. In general, the presiding officer may rule on whether the point of order is well taken and, thus, whether the measure, provision, or amendment is in order. In practice, however, it is possible in the Senate to preempt a ruling by the presiding officer by offering a motion to waive the application of points of order related to enforcing the limits associated with the Budget Act. In most cases, the motion to waive requires a vote of at least three-fifths of all Senators duly chosen and sworn (60 votes if there are no vacancies) to be successful. If a waiver motion fails, the presiding officer will then rule the provision or amendment out of order.
Under the terms of Section 313, as discussed above, extraneous provisions are not allowed to be included in the measure or offered as amendments to it. Instructed committees may not include extraneous provisions in the legislative language submitted to the Budget Committee for inclusion in an omnibus reconciliation measure. If a point of order is sustained under this section against a provision in the reconciliation measure as reported, the provision in question is stricken, but further consideration of the bill may proceed. If the point of order is sustained against an amendment or motion, further consideration of that amendment or motion would not be in order.
