Reply #23: Because Democrats in the 109th Congress voted for cloture

[TayTay]

in enough votes to make them work.

Once cloture is voted or agreed to, then a simple majority works to pass legislation.
Cloture vote on Mar 8, 2005 on the Bankruptcy bill: http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00029

14 Dems for voted FOR cloture and to end debate and get the bill to an "upperdown" vote:
Biden (D-DE)
Byrd (D-WV)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Salazar (D-CO)
Stabenow (D-MI)

31 Dems voted Nay
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
*** Jeffords (I-VT) former Republican Senator who caucused with the Dems in this session.
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Wyden (D-OR)

60 votes are needed to invoke cloture and end the debate after 30 hours. Had 10 of the Dems who voted FOR cloture switched their votes, this bill would have been dead.

There are twenty (20) instances of cloture motions being filed in the Senate in the first session of the 109th Congress (2005.)Seven (7) cloture motions were not sustained.

Why do they need 60 now? Because Republicans adhere to their party positions more than Democrats did.