She’s poised to reprise her role as tie-breaker in the coming weeks when the COVID relief proposal, known as the American Rescue Plan, comes up for a final vote in the 50-50 Senate.
Though Harris has the deciding vote in the split Senate, she may not get a final say on much.
That’s because Harris only has the authority to vote when the Senate is deadlocked at 50-50. Controversial measures such as curbing oil and gas development, efforts to reverse decades of systemic racial discrimination or expand health care are likely to be blocked by Senate filibusters that require 60 votes to overcome.
Harris won’t be able to participate in filibuster votes though she may be part of negotiations to find common ground.
The COVID relief plan is different because it’s being passed through a special budget maneuver known as “reconciliation.”
That allows the Senate to pass legislation with a simple majority, bypassing Senate filibuster rules. The mechanism can’t be used to push through bills that don’t have a direct fiscal impact – so the opportunities for the vice president to break ties on other issues could be limited.
Harris herself has publicly said she hopes she won’t be breaking too many ties.
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