filibuster-proof

Whatever legislation passed in the past few years is almost solely a product of Democratic cohesion an attribute that is generally in short supply – and a brief window in which Democrats enjoyed a filibuster-proof majority in the US Senate.

The dysfunction that lies at the very heart of American politics | Michael A Cohen 2011

Thus did citizens learn about cloture, filibuster-proof majorities, a Medicare exemption for the state (Nebraska) of a senator whose vote was needed (Ben Nelson), etc.

ObamaCare and the Two Kennedys William McGurn 2011

When Sen. John Cornyn, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, heard of the Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback, he knew that the GOP would win its special election in Massachusetts and strip Democrats of their filibuster-proof majority.

Harry Reid, The Man Who Never Says Goodbye The Huffington Post News Team 2010

Brown's election cost the Democrats their filibuster-proof 60-vote majority in the Senate, forced the White House and the congressional leadership to devise a legislative strategy to push through the health care law and helped Republican leaders recruit candidates for uphill races in the November midterm elections.

GOP Sen. Scott Brown downplays Tea Party influence 2011

The biggest bump came when Scott Brown won a special election for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat and robbed Reid's filibuster-proof majority.

Harry Reid, The Man Who Never Says Goodbye The Huffington Post News Team 2010

I would love to see a couple of the moderate Republican senators switch sides so that Democrats have a filibuster-proof majority. —

Congress Is Ready to Push Ahead on Economic Plan - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2009

IMHO the reason why Baucus was “dithering” was that there have only ever been two routes to getting the filibuster-proof 60 for health care reform: corral all the Democrats including Sanders and Lieberman; or pick off a Republican or two or three and let some of the most irksome Democrats go piss up a rope.

Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Comment Of The Day 2010

Democrats are unlikely to have the presidency, a huge majority in the House, and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate any time soon.

Morning Bits Jennifer Rubin 2011

If the wait culminates in a filibuster-proof Senate — and it sounds like the odds are at least even now — why not make the first two years all about enacting a Big Bad Stimulus and getting out of Iraq, head into midterms with two big feathers in your cap, and do health care and comprehensive climate change and all that good stuff in the ensuing two years?

Matthew Yglesias » Voinovich Retiring 2009

After a ruling of the Minnesota Supreme Court on Tuesday, more than seven long months after the election, Mr. Franken will become Senator No. 60 for the Democrats, a significant number because it could help make the Senate filibuster-proof.

Sunday Reading 2009