By Ditching the Public Option, Obama Gave His Enemies a Path to the Supreme Court

[Better Believe It]

64. A simple majority of Senate votes have always been required to pass legislation, 51 today, not 60.

Or in the case of a 50/50 tie the Vice-President can cast a tie breaking vote.



Pelosi Makes Her Case: A Majority Is 51 Votes
By Steven T. Dennis
Roll Call Staff
Feb. 10, 2010, 2:08 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is pinning the blame on Republicans for a lack of bipartisanship in Congress and plans to bypass them if they continue to oppose efforts to enact near-universal health care.

“A constitutional majority is 51 votes,” Pelosi said in an interview Tuesday with Roll Call. “If in fact the Republicans are going to say nothing can be done except by 60 percent, then maybe we all should be elected with 60 percent. It isn’t legitimate in terms of passing legislation.”

http://www.rollcall.com/news/-43170-1.html

President of the United States Senate

President of the Senate, the Vice President has two primary duties: to cast a vote in the event of a Senate deadlock and to preside over and certify the official vote count of the U.S. Electoral College. For example, in the first half of 2001, the Senators were divided 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats and Dick Cheney's tie-breaking vote gave the Republicans the Senate majority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_United_States


As you can see, it is the Republicans who insist that 60 votes are needed to pass legislation in the Senate.

You seem to be still confusing a vote (60) to end debates or bogus "procedural filibusters" with a vote (51) to pass legislation once a debate ends.

Do you still need more clarification and credible sources on Senate rules and the Constitution?