Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Mitch McConnell) warned Democrats on Tuesday (16) that if they want to end the Senate’s long-standing “obstruction of proceedings” (filibuster) rule, Democrats will pay the price. On the same day, President Biden expressed support for adjusting the “obstruction of proceedings”, but does not need to abolish the rule.
In recent days, top Democrats, including the Senate’s two most senior Democrats, have taken aim at the “obstruction of proceedings”. They claim that “obstruction of proceedings” actually gives power to the deeply divided minority party in the Senate.
This deliberative practice has long been seen as a mechanism requiring bipartisan consensus, distinguishing the Senate, which requires a simple majority to pass legislation, from the House, which requires the support of 60 of its 100 members to pass most legislation.
Republicans had previously asked Democrats to commit to protecting the Senate’s “obstruction of proceedings” rule, but with the Senate now split 50-50, Democrats say they may need to repeal “obstruction of proceedings” to pass Biden’s priorities, including the House A bill already approved to facilitate voting elections.
In a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, McConnell sternly warned Democrats that the Senate would be paralyzed and Biden’s agenda would stall if the long-standing “obstructionist proceedings” that can block partisan legislation were ended.
He noted, “This chaos will not open a fast track to liberal change, nor will it open a fast track to a Biden presidency that will quickly go down in history. The Senate will be more like 100 cars colliding in a row that simply won’t move.”
“No one serving in this chamber could even begin to carry —— imagine what a completely scorched Senate would look like.” McConnell added.
He made it clear that it would actually be tougher, not easier, for Democrats to eliminate “obstructionist proceedings.
Biden first voiced support for tweaking the Senate’s “obstructionist” rules in an interview with ABC on Tuesday.
“I don’t think you have to abolish ‘obstruction of proceedings,’ you have to act like you did when I first came to the Senate.” Biden said, “You had to stand up and speak, you had to keep talking all the Time.”
Asked if that meant he supported the Senate’s “delaying tactics,” Biden replied, “I do.”
“That’s the way it should be, you know, democracy is hard to work with.” Biden added.
“Obstruction is a rule of procedure in the U.S. Senate that is generally used by minority lawmakers to delay or prevent a vote on a bill or nomination under consideration, often using extreme delaying tactics, such as delivering a lengthy speech.
A member who makes a “long speech” can eat or drink, but cannot sit down, go to the bathroom, or leave the chamber, and instead speaks incessantly until the scheduled vote has passed, which is a success.
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