60 votes required
Dear Editor,
The rules of the U.S. Senate can be confusing and they seem to have confused W.O. Wagner who wrote a letter to the editor Dec. 3 about Sen. Nelson's vote on the health care reform bill.
To put it as plainly as possible, it took 60 votes to get the bill to the floor to start debate and it will take 60 votes to end the debate ... not a simple majority of 51 as W.O. Wagner maintained in the letter.
In voting to open debate Sen. Nelson was not voting for the bill. He has repeatedly said if the bill is not changed to meet the needs of Nebraskans, he will not be one of the 60 votes needed to vote for cloture to end the debate.
If cloture is voted for then it would require a simple majority but before you can get to that you need 60 votes.
America's health care system is rapidly outpacing the ability of many people to pay for it. People with pre existing conditions cannot access it. Those with private insurance are increasingly being forced to pay the bills of those who choose not to have insurance.
It is important to at least try to fix the system. To deny the American people the ability to know where their elected representatives stand and denying senators the opportunity to debate and change the bill is not the American way.
That is why Sen. Nelson voted in favor of debating the bill, however, his vote was not a vote for the bill and if the bill is not changed to work for Nebraskans, i.e. no government takeover of insurance, no tax hikes, no premium increases, no deficit increase, and no government funded abortions, he will not be one of the 60 votes needed to end debate.
Sincerely,
Jim Fagin
Deputy Director of Communications
Sen. Ben Nelson