The outgoing Senate Republican leader told Semafor that he sees Kamala Harris’ recent comments about ending the 60-vote threshold to pass an abortion rights bill as a sign.
“They’re all committed to it now, because Chuck has made them take a public position. Every Democratic challenger, I’m told, running for the Senate is taking the same position,” McConnell said. “I think they fully intend to do it if they can.”
Thanks for advocating for a good reason to have democratic control of the senate
Ok, sounds great. Require an actual speaking filibuster if desired. No more procedural bullshit that enabled McConnell to appoint dozens of judges when Schumer foolishly agreed to kill the judicial filibuster.
Flip the House, hold the Senate and dump the obstructionist tool. Also the filibuster.
I don't always side with either Republicans or Democrats. I just want good government. And I am 100% in favor of repealing the procedural filibuster. I think the filibuster is a valuable tool that is important for defeating certain bad legislation, but it should not exist as a way to make sure any and every contentious legislation requires 60 votes.
If someone feels that strongly about something, let them get up there and read the phone book into the record for six hours.
I think the filibuster is a valuable tool that is important for defeating certain bad legislation
What might be bad for you might be good for someone else.
I agree with getting rid of the procedural filibuster. I suspect the reason it exists in the first place is because Senators are getting old and don't want to actually do it.
So, for good and bad, make them actually stand and deliver. If they feel so strongly that a bill needs to be killed, then let them fucking earn it.
It was supposedly created in the 70s because Senators were gumming up Senate business trying to grandstans for the TV using filibusters.
Personally, I think that's not a bad thing. Make Senators want to stand on a podium and give an impassioned speech about their beliefs, like they did in Athens.
I think the filibuster is vitally important as a last-ditch way to stop really bad laws. But there SHOULD be a high cost to using it. It SHOULD gum up the works. Because if it doesn't, then it becomes status quo that getting something through the Senate takes 60 votes instead of 50 because the losing party will always filibuster. That's not a good way to run things.
That would be more in line with the actual American tradition.
But personally, I would recommend to only allow filibusters in the House, which has a more proportional representation, and to not allow it in the Senate, which has the least proportional representation, even less than the electoral college.
I say abolish the senate. The senate is there because we can't trust the people to fend off populism that prioritizes their whims over reasoned governance. In practice, though, senators inject their unreasoned, populist, ideas into government.