White House targets filibuster, calls for 'nuclear option' as shutdown enters day 2
The best argument in favor of the filibuster is that it allows passage only of bills supported by more than a bare majority of Americans and of senators.
But under current circumstances it often prevents even that.
Why?
The senate is often closely divided by party so that the majority party cannot alone overcome a filibuster.
And the parties are internally so ideologically uniform and so ideologically opposite to each other than on few important matters can the senate majority party expect enough crossovers from the minority to overcome a minority filibuster.
Where are the pro-life Democrats?
Where are the pro-Social Security or pro-Medicare Republicans?
And on most matters important enough to have a vote at all the minority will want to filibuster in the senate, for the same reasons.
A perfect recipe for gridlock.
Senate rules impose a threshold of 60 votes to break a filibuster, and Senate Republicans currently hold a slim majority of 51 votes, meaning even if they can unite their members, they need nine more votes to end debate.
The best argument in favor of the filibuster is that it allows passage only of bills supported by more than a bare majority of Americans and of senators.
But under current circumstances it often prevents even that.
Why?
The senate is often closely divided by party so that the majority party cannot alone overcome a filibuster.
And the parties are internally so ideologically uniform and so ideologically opposite to each other than on few important matters can the senate majority party expect enough crossovers from the minority to overcome a minority filibuster.
Where are the pro-life Democrats?
Where are the pro-Social Security or pro-Medicare Republicans?
And on most matters important enough to have a vote at all the minority will want to filibuster in the senate, for the same reasons.
A perfect recipe for gridlock.
Senate rules impose a threshold of 60 votes to break a filibuster, and Senate Republicans currently hold a slim majority of 51 votes, meaning even if they can unite their members, they need nine more votes to end debate.
The White House is calling for the Senate to change its rules and move the threshold to a simple majority of 51 votes.
Eliminating the 60-vote threshold to break a legislative filibuster would remove significant powers for the minority party in the Senate, and party leaders have been reluctant to do so in the past because of the consequences it would pose when their party returns to the minority.
. . . .
Trump has called repeatedly for McConnell to move the Senate to simple-majority rule, and despite some backing from the House Republicans, the rules have remained.
McConnell said in April that the "core of the Senate is the legislative filibuster" and that he was opposed to going "nuclear."
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