The filibuster is the Wily E. Coyote of Senate rules. The Senate can bomb it, drop anvils on it, or run it over a cliff, but it always comes back.
This year, it’s the Democrats’ turn to plot against this most pestiferous of Senate rules.
“I think we do need to go back and take a look at it,” says Jon Tester of Montana, who would be a key vote against the filibuster. “But I think we ought to give this Congress a chance to screw up before we change it.”
The filibuster gives the minority party a chance to argue in public on pending legislation. But the filibuster can only benefit the Senate if Republicans are willing to play nice -- sometimes.
So far, Republicans are still playing hardball -- not to mention pandering to Trump fans and lying about the election results.
The filibuster could be scrubbed for specific types of legislation. Republicans did away with it for executive and judicial nominations. There’s no filibuster for the federal budget, either.
Voting Rights legislation seems to be the line in the sand for Democrats: State-level Republicans are, right now, actively pushing to restrict access to voting for minorities. That may be the next carveout for the rule.
It’s starting to look as if even Joe Manchin, West Virginia’s Democratic senator, might be willing to make a few adaptations. He and Kirsten Sinema of Arizona are the primary holdouts against filibuster reform.
“If you want to make [the filibuster] a little bit more painful, make them stand there and talk. I’m willing to look at any way we can,” Manchin said in a Sunday morning talk show yesterday. “But I am not willing to take away the involvement of the minority,” Manchin added. “I’ve been in the minority.”
Wily E. Coyote lives on.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/542017-democrats-near-pressure-point-on-nixing-filibuster?fbclid=IwAR3yVXMzLJTQed6VtirH7Wz6T-IDIF-IGVPpgDgu244F4qWFIeTlXBfuh38
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