[tobyhill]

Thank you for the info.
It basically voids any argument by the Dems that it takes 60 votes to change a Senate rule. Byrd didn't even get 60 to change the rules but if the Dems argument holds any water they needed 67. Byrd changed the rules 4 times on a simple majority.

[Cboldt]

[The history of changes to Rule XII] basically voids any argument by the Dems that it takes 60 votes to change a Senate rule. Byrd didn't even get 60 to change the rules but if the Dems argument holds any water they needed 67. Byrd changed the rules 4 times on a simple majority.

Check the historical votes again. Implementation of and changes to Rule XXII were made with at least 2/3rds of members present and voting.

I don't disagree that Byrd has engineered some rules changes on a simple majority, but he didn't engineer a change to the cloture hurdle on that basis.