At the beginning of each new Congress, the U.S. Senate has a chance to change its rules and dump the filibuster, which allows a minority of 41 Senators to block any bill they don’t like – simply by refusing to close debate and talking it to death. But isn’t the filibuster a sacred heritage of the founding fathers, who deliberately designed the U.S. Senate to serve as a brake on hasty legislation?
Had we elected just one more Democratic Senator last November, it’s possible that the filibuster would finally be retired — or at least some carve-outs allowed for major legislation such as the Women’s Health Protection Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Of course, with the House now in Republican hands, the passage of such bills in the Senate would be moot anyway.
Had we elected just one more Democratic Senator last November, it’s possible that the filibuster would finally be retired — or at least some carve-outs allowed for major legislation such as the Women’s Health Protection Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Of course, with the House now in Republican hands, the passage of such bills in the Senate would be moot anyway.