In spite of the propaganda spin, it really does take 60 votes, not 51, to approve the Federal budget

In spite of the propaganda spin, it really does take 60 votes, not 51, to approve the Federal budget

Online, social media-based, for profit, fake news publisher Occupy Democrats sent out another false meme for viral distribution on social media. This item was shared into my Facebook news feed.

The Republicans have a 52 seat majority in the Senate, with one absent for medical treatment, giving them a 51 seat majority.
The problem with this propaganda is that due to Senate rules and how the political parties work in real life, it takes 60 votes, not 51.
CSPAN understood this with this graphic after the vote to continue funding the government failed on January 19, 2018 – note the reference to “60 votes needed to limit debate”.

CNN explained this in a news report just prior to the vote:

“Sixty votes were needed to advance the bill. Republicans only control 51 seats, so GOP leaders needed Democratic votes to cross that threshold. As of 11 p.m. ET, the vote was still technically ongoing but enough senators had voted against the plan to prevent it from advancing. “

CNBC noted that it takes 60 votes to pass.
The day after, the Associated Press described the situation with this headline:

Which is the opposite of the propaganda poster, above.
In 2012, Obama’s Chief of Staff said that it took 60 votes. Politifact took issue with the exact wording Obama’s Chief of Staff used and said a budget resolution can technically pass with 51 votes, but agreed that in reality, it takes 60 votes to move past the resolution phase.
Because of wide spread propaganda from fake news sites, social media on Twitter and Facebook are filled with posts saying 51 votes or 60 votes are sufficient, depending on the partisan bias of the poster. The battle crossed onto social media where it basically slid down hill from there.

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