Democrats shoot down an attempt by the Senate leader for minorities Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Budowsky: Democracy won, Trump lost, President Biden inaugurated Biden’s inauguration marked by a conflict of hope and fear McConnell faces conservative backlash over Trump criticism MORE (R-Ky.) To include protections for the legislative filibuster as part of a Senate power-sharing deal.
“We’re not going to give him what he wants. If you did, there would just be rampant use of it. I don’t mean anything to stop him,” Sen said. Dick Durbin
Dick DurbinSchumer Becomes New Senate Majority Leader McConnell Keeps GOP Guessing Trump’s Impeachment Officials Brace for Second Trump Impeachment Trial MORE (Ill.), The No. 2 Senate Democrat, on Thursday.
McConnell has urged the Senate majority leader Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerSchumer becomes the new Senate Majority Leader of the US Chamber of Commerce at Biden, Congress: Business ‘Ready to Help’ Why Pretend Senators ‘Can Do Equitable Justice’? LAKE (DN.Y.) to include a retention of the 60-vote legislative filibuster in every deal they make on how to organize an evenly distributed 50-50 Senate, a request that threatens to extend their talks and a large section of the Senate to remain in limbo for several more days.
According to Durbin, McConnell wanted to include a guarantee in the Senate rules that no attempt would be made to pursue the “ nuclear option ” – changing the rules with a simple majority instead of the higher 60 or 67 vote threshold – during the next two years, or as long as the 50-50 split lasted.
McConnell and Schumer are still negotiating how to organize the Senate, leaving the chamber in a strange state where the Democrats control the majority, but because the chamber has not passed a new organizational resolution, Republicans still control the majority of some committees.
Schumer has publicly skimped on their talks, as well as McConnell’s specific demand, except to say he feels they should agree to a resolution modeled on 2001, the last time there was a 50-50 Senate.
“In an organizing resolution, leader Schumer said the fairest, most reasonable and easiest way forward is to pass the 2001 bipartisan agreement without external changes from either side,” a spokesman said earlier this week after an initial meeting between the two leaders. failed. draw up an agreement.
It’s unclear whether an alternative to protecting the filibuster in writing, such as a handshake agreement between Schumer and McConnell or a speech from Schumer, could satisfy both parties and get the talks back on track. Democrats are poised to make their first caucus call since taking over the majority on Thursday.
Republicans argue that the organizing resolution is the best place to address the filibuster’s future because it prevents a decision from being made in the middle of a heated political debate.
“I think the time is right to address this issue before the passions of some issue arise,” McConnell wrote in a letter to his caucus earlier this week.
McConnell defended his strategy on the Senate floor on Thursday, noting that Biden and other Democrats have previously backed the filibuster.
“I cannot imagine the Democratic leader would rather hold up the power-sharing agreement than simply reaffirm that his side will not break this established Senate rule. I appreciate our continued discussions in good faith and look forward to working together to find a solution to come., ”he said.
With a narrow 50-50 majority depending on Vice President Harris cutting all ties, Democrats don’t have the votes to ignore the 60-vote legislative filibuster, even as the caucus idea has gained steam.
Progressive activists pledge to increase the pressure to try to get rid of, or at least weaken the legislative filibuster, arguing that this gets in the way of many of their top priorities and those of President Biden, such as immigration reform, voting rights and democracy is reforming and limiting their health care options.
“We have to eliminate the filibuster,” Sen. Ed Markey
Ed Markey Five Centrist Democrats Oppose Pelosi For Tight-Voice Speaker David Sirota: Democrats Gave Power Away to Enforce Votes on, 000 Sanders’ Checks to Delay the NDAA’s veto in an attempt to vote on the proposal K checks MORE (D-Mass.) tweeted on Thursday.
But several Democrats, most notably Sen. Joe Manchin
Joseph (Joe) Manchin Democrats torn by timing of impeachment sentence Biden faces major commission in unifying polarized nation McConnell, Schumer fails to break power-sharing deal amid filibuster problem MORE (DW.Va.), are against getting rid of it. Since Democrats have only 50 seats, they would need the support of every senator to change the rules for the filibuster through the “nuclear option.”
But Democrats also believe that leaving it on the table as a possible avenue could force Republicans to make deals and not back down because they promise to pursue a “ bold ” agenda. They would face a wave of bitterness from progressives if they agreed to a demand that many think McConnell would never agree to if the situation were reversed.
“They should just have a simple organizing resolution like in the past. Now is not the time to make such decisions, now is the time to simply figure out how to share power when you have a 50-50 senate. with Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris Katy Perry and her ‘Firework’ Closes Inauguration TV Special Biden’s First Foreign Leader Call To Be With Canada’s Trudeau Friday Harris Now ‘The Most Influential Woman’ In US Politics MORE as the casting vote, ”said Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Amy Klobuchar Democrats Vow By Three Senators To Get Majority Congress Leaders Present Biden, Harris With Flags At Inauguration LIVE INAUGURATION COVERAGE: Biden Signs Executive Orders; press secretary to hold MORE first briefing (D-Minn.), The Chairman of the Rules Committee.
Her. Chris Murphy
Christopher (Chris) Scott Murphy Senate confirms Biden’s Intel chief and gives him the first cabinet official Democrats torn apart by the timing of the impeachment trial. Senate Democrats are calling on Biden to immediately invoke the Defense Production Act MORE (D-Conn.) Added that there was “no reason to look beyond the precedent that existed the last time we shared power in the Senate.”
“It’s generally up to the majority if they want to have a conversation about changing the rules and we have to reserve that right,” Murphy said, adding that while there is currently no consensus on what rules are changing, Democrats like caucus could do that. support, “that consensus can emerge down the line.”
Updated at 1:20 PM