roseembolism (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
roseembolism) wrote2010-03-22 01:07 pm
roseembolism) wrote2010-03-22 01:07 pm
lolpolitics: The legislative process in terms that gamer geeks can understand.
Reading Metafilter today, I found this quote and reply that pretty much explains How Things Work.
In this instance, the legislative path was even more convoluted. Basically the house passed their version, then the senate passed theirs. They were different. But if they did the regular confrence committee thing, the new version of the bill could be filibustered, but because the democrats now only had 59 votes, rather then 60, they couldn't overcome it.
So, what they decided to do was have the house pass the senate version as is but then pass what they called a "sidecar" bill that would modify the bill they just passed, just like you can modify any bill that's ever been passed.
And the idea is, all of the items in the "sidecar" would qualify for reconciliation because everything in the "sidecar" would be directly related to the government's budget.
Also, when Representative Gwen Moore was asked to sum up what was going through her mind in the hours before the vote for health care reform, she broke out into a dance, pumped her arms in the air and sang the Michael Jackson song "Thriller."
Man, who could ever get bored with American politics?
In this instance, the legislative path was even more convoluted. Basically the house passed their version, then the senate passed theirs. They were different. But if they did the regular confrence committee thing, the new version of the bill could be filibustered, but because the democrats now only had 59 votes, rather then 60, they couldn't overcome it.
So, what they decided to do was have the house pass the senate version as is but then pass what they called a "sidecar" bill that would modify the bill they just passed, just like you can modify any bill that's ever been passed.
And the idea is, all of the items in the "sidecar" would qualify for reconciliation because everything in the "sidecar" would be directly related to the government's budget.
Oh. So American politics is like playing Magic: The Gathering with a really nasty blue deck. That's pretty sweet actually.
Also, when Representative Gwen Moore was asked to sum up what was going through her mind in the hours before the vote for health care reform, she broke out into a dance, pumped her arms in the air and sang the Michael Jackson song "Thriller."
Man, who could ever get bored with American politics?