Filibuster - Democrats?

The legislative filibuster rule in the Senate has long been one of the most important guardrails this country has in place to protect America from the majority party in the Senate passing laws that go too far or change things too dramatically. The filibuster is simply a procedural process that ends up requiring a 60-vote threshold for passing most legislation.

That 60 vote requirement serves many valuable purposes. First, it forces Senators to actually talk to each other as the adults they are supposed to be. Second, it helps ensure that any legislation that is passed represents bi-partisan discussion and compromise. Thirdly, it helps provide some stability in that it avoids laws being passed that are then quickly rescinded when the party in the majority changes hands. All of these desirable goals are especially important in these days of polarized politics and razor-thin majorities.

 Unfortunately, Chuck Schumer led an effort in 2022 that came within two votes of eliminating the filibuster that would have enabled the small Democrat majority to pass laws that would have been too extreme to attract 60 votes. Thank goodness that Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema voted against the measure. Regrettably, neither Manchin nor Sinema ran for re-election and leading up to the election, Schumer declared that one of his first priorities as Majority leader in the 2025 Senate was going to be again trying to eliminate the filibuster.

Fortunately, the Republicans will instead hold a slim majority in the Senate and have already promised to protect the filibuster. Interestingly, Schumer now seems to have done an about face and is now happy to have the filibuster as a tool to use with the Democrats back in the minority. I fully expect him to use it too in order to avoid having some of the more extreme Republican policies become law. That is how it is supposed to work.

Here is hoping that when the Democrats do return to the majority in the Senate, they will remember why the filibuster is such an important guardrail and do not try to blow it up again.