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In reply to the discussion: 'Sit Back, Take It': Trump Treasury Secretary Warns Tariffed Countries Not To Retaliate [View all]BumRushDaShow
(165,147 posts)You need a 60-vote "super majority" in the Senate in order to do something like that.
If you look historically over FDR's 4 terms (his last term being abruptly impacted by his death), he had periods where the Senate had large supporting numbers of Democrats (and those who affiliated with them), and IIRC, the cloture number was actually 67 (vs the current 60). He was able to get SS through with those types of numbers.
(each of the below being the tally at the end of the particular Congressional session)
73rd (1933 - 1935) - 60/35
74th (1935 - 1937) - 72/22
75th (1937 - 1939) - 74/18 (and as high as 76)
76th (1939 - 1941) - 68/25
77th (19431- 1943) - 64/30
78th (1943 - 1945) - 56/39
And this was also why the ACA managed to squeak through under Obama as we had 60 Democrats in the Senate (although lost one at the end of 2009 due to the death of Ted Kennedy and his replacement being a GOP loon, forcing them to finish off the ACA through reconciliation in 2010).