According to this AP article, the recent House bill to delay the digital TV transition date failed because it did not get a two thirds majority. Why did it require 2/3 of the House votes? I thought the only time they needed 2/3 was to override a veto, which apparently wasn’t the case here. Obama wanted this one to pass.
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There is a fast-track procedure to quickly vote on approval of bills with limited debate and no amendments. To prevent this procedure being used on controversial matters, a 2/3 vote is required by House rules (not the Constitution) for approval.
The bill may be brought up again later under normal business, which means that the House would have to pass a rule (which lays out how much debate and amendment the bill is subject to) before actually calling the bill to the floor. Under these steps, a simple majority is all that would be required to pass the bill.
Thanks for the quick and very clear response!
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