Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Sunday (March 14) that he would consider changing or eliminating “The filibuster” to stop Republicans from continuing to voice opposition to legislation as Democrats introduce it.
Under current parliamentary procedure, if the Senate has more than 60 votes in favor, it can end the lengthy debate on a proposal and bring it to a vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last week called the lengthy debate “the essence of the Senate,” adding, “It’s the only legislative system in the world where an overwhelming majority is not enough to pass legislation. It should not be altered.”
McConnell also noted that both Democratic Senators Joe Manchin (D-Mich.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-N.Y.) have also made it clear they do not want to eliminate lengthy debates. He said, “We’re hoping to garner support from both of them.”
Asked about his remarks on MSNBC’s “Sunday Show,” Schumer said the United States needs “dramatic and bold change.
“The changes that we started to make in the American rescue plan must continue in many other areas, including the treatment of infrastructure, democracy and children in poverty. There’s no question that we want to work with our Republican colleagues to make these bold changes. That’s something we look forward to seeing and we will try,” Schumer added.
Schumer continued, “But if they vote against all the aspects of America that need to change, then our caucus members will join together to find a way to fix the problem. We will put all issues on the table, and we must not fail. We cannot give up on making drastic and bold changes to those programs that are needed.”
Earlier this month, Democratic Senator Manchin said he would continue to oppose eliminating the 60-vote threshold for lengthy debates to ensure the minority side of the Senate has a say, but he suggested a reformed “lengthy debate.”
“If you want to make it more difficult to have a lengthy debate, you can have the debaters stand and speak,” Manchin said, “and I’m willing to try anything, but I’m not willing to eliminate minority party participation. I’ve served in the minority or majority party. If I’m respected on both sides of the aisle, it should be ‘I have something to say, please listen to me,’ and that’s what I would like to see.”
While Schumer has accused Republicans of not working with Democrats, Republican lawmakers made the same accusations against Schumer and Democrats in the early days of the Biden administration, particularly when Democrats forced through a $1.9 trillion C.C. virus (Covid-19) relief package despite not a single Republican voting for it.
“I look forward to continuing to work with this community of government, but hopefully Senator Schumer will not be an obstacle to bipartisanship,” Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, told reporters on Capitol Hill last week, “That’s what the nation wants to see. ”
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