HR 1207 has 223 cosponsors!!

Am I right in thinking that they have the majority, and Pelosi can't stop this coming up for a vote now?

No. It is obviously a serious psychological number at this point; but it does not guarantee a vote.

218 is the # needed for a discharge petition, which WOULD force it to a vote. But it is also less likely that all cosponsors would be willing to sign a discharge peition (At this time anyways). This is gonna have to remain Plan B for now.

Dr. Paul has already stated that he wants it to go through the correct procedures which would involve the committee discussing it and commenting on it. Then move from there to a vote. If the committe refuses to acknowledge it, then we go to Plan B.
 
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A discharge petition is a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report from a Committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership. Discharge petitions are most often associated with the U.S. House of Representatives, though many state legislatures have similar procedures. They are used when the chair of a committee refuses to place a bill or resolution on the Committee's agenda; by never reporting a bill, the matter will never leave the committee and the full House will not be able to consider it. A successful petition "discharges" the committee from further consideration of a bill or resolution and brings it directly to the floor. The discharge petition, and the threat of one, gives more power to individual members of the House and usurps a small amount of power from the leadership and committee chairs. The modern discharge petition requires the signature of an absolute majority of House members (218 members).

563 discharge petitions were filed between 1931 and 2003, of which only 47 obtained the required majority of signatures. The House voted for discharge 26 times and passed 19 of the measures, but only two have become law.[1][6] However, the threat of a discharge petition has caused the leadership to relent several times; such petitions are dropped only because the leadership allowed the bill to move forward, rendering the petition moot. Overall, either the petition was completed or else the measure made it to the floor by other means in 16 percent of cases.[1]

[edit] Usage

Discharge petitions are rare. A successful discharge petition embarrasses the leadership; as such, members of the majority party are hesitant to support something that would make the Speaker and their own leaders look bad. (Naturally, the minority party will often support discharge petitions precisely to embarrass the leadership.) Furthermore, since the signers of a petition are not private, majority party members are pressured not to sign, and open themselves up to retribution from the leadership should they disobey
 
I've got a weird feeling about this.. interesting how Dennis was 218 too. Hopefully after the audit (if it happens) they don't try and make excuses that they need a global fed, I'm sure the spin is being prepared.
 
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It could still get neutered either in Commitee, in the Senate, in the house/senate resolution or with a beautiful signing statement from Obama.
 
They better get enough votes for a 3/4 overide cuz Obama aint going to sign a bill to audit his bosses.
 
the very given is that we will get a full debate on the floor
of the house thanks to the 222+ plus co-sponsors... yaaayyy!
 
Didn't we pick up any cosponsors on Friday. I had considered that after hitting the tipping point of 218 that it would become more politically easy to add one's name. Sort of a break in the dam.
 
I found an article claiming that the bill is going to be debated in the house: http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=195751

I thought it was still in committee- does anyone have information showing either way?

The bill stays tabled until Barney Frank decides to bring it before the committee, or until 218 Reps sign a discharge petition which is not the same as simply co-sponsoring it. As explained in another thread, very few discharge petitions are ever circulated since it is seen as a slap in the face to the committee chair (Frank) and that party's leadership.

The plan for right now should be to pressure Frank to bring it before committee and wait, and to continue to gain co-sponsors, specifically within the Financial Services Committee. So far, we do have a majority of the committee co-sponsoring the bill, 36 of the 71 members. (I keep a running count of that, as well as an updated list of the members and their status, in this thread.
 
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