Why Possibly Changing The Filibuster Brings Threats Of Political 'Nuclear' War
3 years, 8 months ago

Why Possibly Changing The Filibuster Brings Threats Of Political 'Nuclear' War

NPR  

Why Possibly Changing The Filibuster Brings Threats Of Political 'Nuclear' War Enlarge this image toggle caption Alyssa Pointer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Alyssa Pointer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images To a growing number of Democrats, the filibuster is a giant barrier to the things they want to accomplish. "And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster — another Jim Crow relic — in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that's what we should do," Obama said, instantly resetting the debate over the Senate procedure that allows a minority party with 41 votes to stop most legislation. Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images In 2013, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid got rid of the filibuster for the Cabinet, other executive branch nominees and lower court judges. Sponsor Message A reporter followed up after Biden said he agreed with Obama's definition of the filibuster as "a relic of Jim Crow."

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History of this topic

Mitch McConnell On Republican Senate Control: 'The Filibuster Will Stand'
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Mitch McConnell On Republican Senate Control: 'The Filibuster Will Stand'

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday that the Senate’s supermajority threshold for passing legislation will be safe with Republicans controlling the chamber — even if President-elect Donald Trump pushes to kill the filibuster. McConnell is stepping down as leader, but his comments Wednesday signaled Senate Republicans will likely defend the filibuster even if Trump …

Biden backs filibuster exception to protect abortion access
2 years, 5 months ago

Biden backs filibuster exception to protect abortion access

India Today  

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he would support an exception to the Senate filibuster to protect abortion access, a shift that comes as Democrats coalesce around an election-year message intended to rally voters who are outraged or deflated by the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. “If the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting …

US Senate sinks Biden push for major voting rights reforms
2 years, 11 months ago

US Senate sinks Biden push for major voting rights reforms

Deccan Chronicle  

WASHINGTON: US senators dealt a death blow Wednesday to President Joe Biden's push to defend voting rights against what Democrats frame as an all-out assault by conservative states targeting racial minorities. Faced with a blockade from Republicans complaining of federal overreach, the ruling Democrats were unable to push through the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement …

Senate Democrats plan a vote to change the filibuster. So what is it?
2 years, 11 months ago

Senate Democrats plan a vote to change the filibuster. So what is it?

NPR  

Senate Democrats plan a vote to change the filibuster. We're bringing this explainer back now that Senate Democrats and President Biden are talking about changing the rule in an effort to pass a set of voting rights bills. With their effort to pass voting rights bills jammed in the Senate, some Democrats have recently backed everything from a return to …

Why do Biden and the Democrats want to kill the filibuster?
2 years, 11 months ago

Why do Biden and the Democrats want to kill the filibuster?

Daily Mail  

President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the U.S. Senate should consider scrapping a longstanding supermajority rule known as the 'filibuster' if necessary to pass voting-rights legislation that is opposed by Republicans. Democrats control 50 seats in the Senate, which allows them to eke together a majority with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking 51st vote when needed. Democrats were …

Democrats plan a procedural maneuver to open Senate debate on voting rights bills
2 years, 11 months ago

Democrats plan a procedural maneuver to open Senate debate on voting rights bills

NPR  

Democrats plan a procedural maneuver to open Senate debate on voting rights bills Enlarge this image toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images Past attempts to advance voting rights legislation to the floor of the Senate have failed, but Senate Democrats believe they have found a way past a procedural hurdle to at least start debate on voting rights …

Joe Manchin Lays Out Filibuster Changes He Supports
2 years, 11 months ago

Joe Manchin Lays Out Filibuster Changes He Supports

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Sen. Joe Manchin outlined changes to the Senate’s filibuster rules that he would support, but remained steadfast in his opposition to getting rid of the filibuster entirely in comments to congressional reporters on Tuesday. Manchin’s comments come as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterated his commitment to hold another vote as early as Wednesday on federal voting …

Biden calls for changes to the Senate's filibuster to pass voting rights bills
2 years, 11 months ago

Biden calls for changes to the Senate's filibuster to pass voting rights bills

NPR  

Biden calls for changes to the Senate's filibuster to pass voting rights bills Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP President Biden on Tuesday delivered a fiery speech on what he called "the battle for the soul of America," urging an outright rejection of GOP-led efforts to restrict Americans' rights to vote. Biden backed changing Senate rules "whichever …

One More Voting Rights Filibuster Will Soon Cause A Final Showdown In The Senate
3 years, 2 months ago

One More Voting Rights Filibuster Will Soon Cause A Final Showdown In The Senate

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Sometime this fall, Senate Democrats will bring a second major voting rights legislation to the floor: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore sections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were gutted by the conservative Supreme Court. “The Senate needs to be restored to the status of the world’s greatest deliberative body,” Senate …

Mitch McConnell makes a mockery of Sinema and Manchin's defense of the filibuster
3 years, 2 months ago

Mitch McConnell makes a mockery of Sinema and Manchin's defense of the filibuster

Raw Story  

Senator Mitch McConnell and his wife exit the U.S. Capitol at the conclusion of the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol Building, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2021. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell seems to be almost intentionally making a mockery of the small number of Democratic senators who continue to defend the filibuster. But McConnell has taken the firm …

Biden: Senate filibuster change on debt a ‘real possibility’
3 years, 2 months ago

Biden: Senate filibuster change on debt a ‘real possibility’

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — To get around Republican obstruction, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Democrats are considering a change to the Senate’s filibuster rules in order to quickly approve lifting the nation’s debt limit and avoid what would be a devastating credit default. The topic was broached during a private Democratic Senate lunch session Tuesday as senators were growing exasperated with …

GOP filibuster blocks Democrats’ big voting rights bill
3 years, 6 months ago

GOP filibuster blocks Democrats’ big voting rights bill

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Democrats’ sweeping attempt to rewrite U.S. election and voting law suffered a major setback in the Senate Tuesday, blocked by a filibuster wall of Republican opposition to what would be the largest overhaul of the electoral system in a generation. The vote leaves the Democrats with no clear path forward, though President Joe Biden declared, “This fight …

Kyrsten Sinema’s Filibuster Stand: If Democrats Pass Bills, GOP Can Just Overturn Them Later
3 years, 6 months ago

Kyrsten Sinema’s Filibuster Stand: If Democrats Pass Bills, GOP Can Just Overturn Them Later

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Sen. Kyrsten Sinema stood firmly for the filibuster Monday, saying essentially that Democrats should not take advantage of being in the majority by passing legislation that a future Republican majority could overturn. “If anyone expected me to reverse my position because my party now controls the Senate, they should know that my approach to legislating in Congress …

In Senate vote, Biden sees ‘step forward’ for elections bill
3 years, 6 months ago

In Senate vote, Biden sees ‘step forward’ for elections bill

The Hindu  

The White House said on June 21 it views the Senate’s work on an elections bill overhaul and changes being offered by Sen. Joe Manchin as a “step forward,” even though the Democrats’ priority legislation is expected to be blocked by a Republican filibuster. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the revisions proposed by Mr. Manchin are a compromise, …

White House Says Democrats Might Revisit Filibuster Rules If Voting Rights Bill Fails
3 years, 6 months ago

White House Says Democrats Might Revisit Filibuster Rules If Voting Rights Bill Fails

NPR  

White House Says Democrats Might Revisit Filibuster Rules If Voting Rights Bill Fails Enlarge this image toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images The White House on Monday opened the door to revisiting the filibuster — a hotly contested issue across political lines — setting the stage for a bitter congressional fight to do away with the controversial debate …

Mitch McConnell's big bluff: Here's the real reason he wants to keep the filibuster so badly
3 years, 6 months ago

Mitch McConnell's big bluff: Here's the real reason he wants to keep the filibuster so badly

Raw Story  

Last week, United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema expressed ongoing support for the filibuster, arguing that "it is a tool that protects the democracy of our nation" and prevents our country from " wildly every two to four years back and forth between policies." Consider this question: why didn't Mitch McConnell nuke the legislative filibuster during the first two years of …

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?
3 years, 6 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Minority Republicans used a Senate filibuster to block a Democratic bill that would have launched a bipartisan probe of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Yet the Republican victory Friday may prod Democrats closer to curbing or eliminating a legislative maneuver that’s been the bane of Senate majorities since the Founding Fathers. They’ve pressured Senate Majority Leader …

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?
3 years, 6 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Minority Republicans used a Senate filibuster Friday to block a Democratic bill that would have launched a bipartisan probe of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. They’ve pressured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to eliminate filibusters, even as their use has increased by whichever party is in the minority. GOP support for retaining them is solid, …

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?
3 years, 6 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans are poised to use a filibuster to derail Democrats’ effort to launch a bipartisan probe of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Yet while the GOP seemed certain to succeed Thursday, their victory may prod Democrats closer to curbing or eliminating a legislative tactic that’s been the bane of Senate majorities since the Founding Fathers. …

Senate To Vote On Election Reform Next Month, Setting Up Another Filibuster Fight
3 years, 6 months ago

Senate To Vote On Election Reform Next Month, Setting Up Another Filibuster Fight

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Just after Senate Republicans filibustered plans for a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced the chamber will take up another contentious matter next month: sweeping voting and elections reform. He called the bill “essential to defending our democracy, reducing the influence of dark money and powerful special …

Senate filibuster’s racist past fuels arguments for its end
3 years, 8 months ago

Senate filibuster’s racist past fuels arguments for its end

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Once obscure, the Senate filibuster is coming under fresh scrutiny not only because of the enormous power it gives a single senator to halt President Joe Biden’s agenda, but as a tool historically used for racism. In a letter Friday, nearly 150 groups called on the Senate to eliminate the filibuster, saying the matter takes on fresh urgency …

The filibuster could derail Joe Biden's agenda. The Democrats could go 'nuclear' to stop it
3 years, 8 months ago

The filibuster could derail Joe Biden's agenda. The Democrats could go 'nuclear' to stop it

ABC  

You've all seen how the musical ends. Loading YouTube content Today, senators don't even have to keep talking A 1917 tweak in the filibuster rule mandated that three-fifths of senators must pass a "writ of cloture" to stop debate and start a vote. Both parties hate the filibuster — when they’re in the majority Then-president Donald Trump raged when Democrats …

Jim Clyburn 'Insulted' By Joe Manchin’s Position On Voting Rights Bill
3 years, 8 months ago

Jim Clyburn 'Insulted' By Joe Manchin’s Position On Voting Rights Bill

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-highest ranking member of Democratic Party leadership in the House, told HuffPost he’s “insulted” by the position Sen. Joe Manchin is taking on the party’s top legislative priority: a giant reform package that includes an expansion of voting rights across the country. That’s a bunch of crap.” - Rep. Jim Clyburn Clyburn further …

Progressive caucus chair says Senate must eliminate the filibuster or override parliamentarian
3 years, 8 months ago

Progressive caucus chair says Senate must eliminate the filibuster or override parliamentarian

CNN  

CNN — The chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus said Tuesday that she is convinced that in order to ensure that President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package can include all of the green energy initiatives, worker protections and other key progressive priorities, the Senate must either gut the filibuster or overrule the Senate parliamentarian. The comments from Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal …

Biden Blasts Filibuster As Relic Of Jim Crow, Says GOP Abusing It In 'Gigantic Way'
3 years, 8 months ago

Biden Blasts Filibuster As Relic Of Jim Crow, Says GOP Abusing It In 'Gigantic Way'

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING President Joe Biden strongly implied he isn’t going to wait around for Republicans to work with him to get his agenda through Congress and that he believes the Senate’s filibuster rule is a relic of the Jim Crow era — but he’s not going nuclear with the rule just yet. “I’m just going to move forward and …

Chuck Schumer Turns Mitch McConnell’s ‘Scorched Earth’ Threat Back On Him
3 years, 9 months ago

Chuck Schumer Turns Mitch McConnell’s ‘Scorched Earth’ Threat Back On Him

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday dismissed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s threat to go “scorched earth” politics if Democrats abolish the filibuster. In an interview on “The Late Show,” host Stephen Colbert asked Schumer “what could possibly be more scorched earth than the way Mitch McConnell has just run roughshod for the past four to …

Biden Endorses Reforming The Senate Filibuster. Here's What That Means
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden Endorses Reforming The Senate Filibuster. Here's What That Means

NPR  

Biden Endorses Reforming The Senate Filibuster. Here's What That Means Enlarge this image toggle caption Charles Dharapak/AP Charles Dharapak/AP Many Democrats hope President Biden's endorsement of changing the Senate filibuster, to one in which a senator actually has to talk for potentially hours on end, could mean greasing the wheels for major progressive priorities. GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who …

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?
3 years, 9 months ago

EXPLAINER: What’s the Senate filibuster and why change it?

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — It’s not that different from the movies. President Joe Biden said the Senate should operate like it did in the “old days,” with senators forced to stand up and speak all day and night if they plan to object to his legislative agenda with a filibuster. Changing the filibuster rules is an idea backed by some Senate Democrats …

Biden wants a ‘talking filibuster.’ What that could mean for taxes and more
3 years, 9 months ago

Biden wants a ‘talking filibuster.’ What that could mean for taxes and more

LA Times  

President Biden visits Smith Flooring Inc. in Chester, Pa., on Tuesday. Ever since President Biden took office, he’s faced pressure from progressives to target the filibuster, a Senate rule that allows one party to block legislation even when it doesn’t have the majority. “I don’t think that you have to eliminate the filibuster, you have to do it what it …

Senate filibuster fight cools for now, but battles ahead
3 years, 10 months ago

Senate filibuster fight cools for now, but battles ahead

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Easing off a stalemate, the Senate moved forward Tuesday with a power-sharing agreement in the evenly-split chamber after Republican leader Mitch McConnell backed off his demand that Senate Democrats preserve the procedural tool known as the filibuster. The stand-off between McConnell and new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had all but ground the Senate to a halt in …

Mitch McConnell Wants Democrats To Commit To Keeping Legislative Filibuster
3 years, 11 months ago

Mitch McConnell Wants Democrats To Commit To Keeping Legislative Filibuster

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell wants assurances from Democrats that they will preserve the powerful legislative filibuster once they assume control of the chamber on Wednesday ― a commitment that so far he is not getting. With the filibuster in place, however, passing many of the main components of Biden’s legislative agenda means he will need the …

McConnell pressures Democrats to keep Senate filibuster
3 years, 11 months ago

McConnell pressures Democrats to keep Senate filibuster

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — In one of his final acts as majority leader, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is pressuring Democrats to keep the filibuster — the procedural tool that liberals and progressives are eager to to do away with so President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative priorities can be approved more easily over GOP opposition. McConnell has told Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer …

Washington Politics Could Be About To Enter A 'Post-Apocalyptic' Phase
4 years, 3 months ago

Washington Politics Could Be About To Enter A 'Post-Apocalyptic' Phase

NPR  

Washington Politics Could Be About To Enter A 'Post-Apocalyptic' Phase Enlarge this image toggle caption Jon Cherry/Getty Images Jon Cherry/Getty Images As if 2020 couldn't get any more politically contentious, a fight is underway over a Supreme Court vacancy — just 43 days until Election Day, and as Americans are already voting in some places during this election season. "President …

Joe Biden Expresses An Openness To Eliminating The Senate Filibuster
4 years, 5 months ago

Joe Biden Expresses An Openness To Eliminating The Senate Filibuster

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING In a notable shift, presumed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden signaled his openness to getting rid of the Senate filibuster, the upper chamber’s requirement that many bills can advance only with the support of a so-called supermajority. “I will not stand idly by for four years and watch the Biden administration’s initiatives blocked at every turn,” Sen. …

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