A bipartisan gang wants to ignore one of the defining features of the Senate: its dysfunction.
Amid mounting pressure to get rid of the filibuster – which is seen by progressives as the cause of the chamber’s ‘graveyard’ status – a group of 20 senators are trying to demonstrate that the senate can still work and possibly an imminent deadlock over the fate of the 60 vote threshold for most legislation.
“The two-piece group is a really good core to want to move the ball forward. … So if we can achieve that, I think the pressure on the Democrats to throw out the filibuster will definitely go away, ”said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito
Shelley Wellons Moore CapitoSenate GOP Wants To Rule On Biden Limits For Border Wall Financing Dems Momentum Hits Swamp Over Infrastructure Plans Democratic Centrists Give Power Over Biden Legislation MORE (RW.Va.).
The gang is the newest member of a long line of bipartisan groups that have surfaced at pivotal times in the chamber’s history. And it could serve as a bell as to whether it is still possible to strike deals in an institution increasingly battered by partisan headwinds.
Her. Lisa Murkowski
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“I think this bipartisan group of legislators is looking for where we meet as individual members on a lot of different issues, or maybe they aren’t policy issues, maybe they are rule issues. Where we can come together to reach some sort of consensus, ”she said.
The group is discussing the possibility of smaller rule changes, while looking at ways that could make it easier to get votes on the Senate floor without losing the filibuster.
Those potential changes could include assurances that certain measures will get votes – such as amendments or bills that come out of committee with an overwhelming majority of support.
“There should be amendments and procedures discussed and things brought to the floor,” Sen. Joe Manchin
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“Everyone really wants this place to work again. … I think there is a bigger percentage in the Senate, from both sides, that wants something to happen, ”Manchin added.
Members are not explicitly trying to save the legislative filibuster. But they recognize that their success or failure can affect that particular debate.
Her. Susan Collins
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The group has 10 Republicans – the number it takes Democrats to break a filibuster over most of the legislation on the Senate floor. Democrats don’t have the 50 votes it takes to eliminate the filibuster, meaning any deals that come through the Senate will require GOP buy-in for the time being.
The group has a track record of breaking deadlock.
Many of the senators were part of the so-called 908 coalition that provided a framework largely consistent with the year-end deal with the coronavirus struck by congressional leaders. And some of the same senators, along with now-departed members, got close to 60 votes in favor of an immigration deal in 2018 – though they fell short after an intense backlash from Trump’s White House.
Yet the senators have their work off their hands.
Democrats, taking control of both chambers of Congress and the White House for the first time in a decade, pledge a “bold” agenda of sweeping voting and climate change changes, among other issues. Progressives are running out of patience for procrastinating in the hope of duality.
It’s unclear what problem the group will tackle next, with Sen. Mitt Romney
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Capito is also one of the leading Republicans on infrastructure, a potential topic. She also had contact with the White House on Thursday.
“It was reiterated to me by the government that they seriously want an accepted product where Republicans and Democrats can come together,” Capito said of the recent talks.
Democrats are also looking at using reconciliation – a budget process that allows them to bypass the filibuster – amid widespread disagreement over how to pay for spending on Democratic priorities. The White House is considering tax increases for high-income people and businesses that Republicans oppose.
“We haven’t made a firm decision yet, but it looks like – it’s probably the Biden plan, called Build Back Better, which combines a lot of things,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer
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Other possible areas of interest could be immigration – Collins led the 2018 proposal and Sen. Dick Durbin
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Senators could also try to revive a bipartisan minimum wage proposal after the $ 15-an-hour hike that progressives preferred fell short. Another possibility is a bipartisan bill to fight China, something Schumer is interested in.
“We build relationships. People get to know each other a little better. We have people who want to expand, get bigger, more people want to get involved, ”said Manchin.
“The hunger for duality is great. The pressure against bipartisanship is also strong, ”he added. “The bottom line is, we have to make the place work.”