The common refrain in the Senate is that a bill needs 60 votes (3\/5 of the Senate) to pass. \u00a0 Otherwise, a dedicated cadre of 41 Senators can continue debate on a bill forever, thus killing its legislative prospects.<\/p>\n
However, during a process known as budget reconciliation, the Senate is allowed to pass legislation directly related to taxing and spending with only a majority (51 votes) needed.\u00a0 Thus, as Harry Reid has already pledged<\/a>, a government-takeover of health care could pass, even with unanimous GOP objection and with several Democratic defectors.<\/p>\n Opponents of a government takeover do have several arrows in their quiver.\u00a0 Under the “Byrd Rule,” a Senator can make a budget point of order and rule that a certain piece of legislation is not germane to the budget reconciliation process.\u00a0 It takes 60 votes to overcome a budget point of order.\u00a0 Thus, any health care bill passed during the reconciliation process would likely emerge from the Senate as a smelly piece of Swiss Cheese<\/a>, not pie-in-the-sky universal health care.<\/p>\n