https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-filibus...1496358477

President Trump urged Republican lawmakers this week to overrule the Senate filibuster and get on with passing his agenda. “The U.S. Senate should switch to 51 votes, immediately,” he tweeted on Tuesday, “and get Healthcare and TAX CUTS approved, fast and easy. Dems would do it, no doubt!”
Mr. Trump has a point. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the Senate will not abandon the filibuster rule, which requires the consent of 60 senators to advance legislation to a vote. “There’s not a single senator in the majority who thinks we ought to change the legislative filibuster,” Mr. McConnell said in April. “Not one.” But there are compelling reasons to consider the idea.

The collegial Senate no longer exists. Ethical Senators who put country first and only use the filibuster for truly serious issues have been proven to be non-existent on the Democratic side. This article gives a lot of good reasons for ending the filibuster.

I'm fine with this. The filibuster is antiquated.

(06-02-2017 09:09 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  I'm fine with this. The filibuster is antiquated.

I like the idea of the filibuster but it's been weaponized....

(06-02-2017 09:48 AM)Bull_Is_Back Wrote:  

(06-02-2017 09:09 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  I'm fine with this. The filibuster is antiquated.

I like the idea of the filibuster but it's been weaponized....

It should be rare. But its not, so it must be exterminated.

Yes, the filibuster should be used in extreme circumstances only.

But instead of eliminating, put a price on its use. A couple of suggestions:

1. Return to the traditional filibuster where the Senators must stand and talk. No more virtual filibuster.
2. Limit the number per session of Congress. Maybe 5 or 6.
3. Have a reverse cloture whereby 40 Senators must affirm their support.

Be very careful. The Senate is designed to slow down the majority. Whoever you are, no matter which side...you will not be in the majority forever.

Democrats have learned that lesson with getting rid of the judicial filibusters. It came back to bite them in the ass hard.

Republicans and Democrats should both be very wary of getting rid of the legislative filibuster. Because that could change the face of America completely every time there is a single wave election.

(06-02-2017 10:28 AM)LeFlâneur Wrote:  Yes, the filibuster should be used in extreme circumstances only.

But instead of eliminating, put a price on its use. A couple of suggestions:

Quote:1. Return to the traditional filibuster where the Senators must stand and talk. No more virtual filibuster.

2. Limit the number per session of Congress. Maybe 5 or 6.
3. Have a reverse cloture whereby 40 Senators must affirm their support.

This is the biggest problem I have with it.

Why not just make it a hard rule that formal passage requires 55, 57, or 60 votes? If that were the case, then I'd be fine ending the filibuster.

I don't agree that 51 should be enough for formal passage. For exactly the reasons stated by ark30 in post #6.


It's a damper on too much change, too fast, too often.

(06-02-2017 10:56 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  Be very careful. The Senate is designed to slow down the majority. Whoever you are, no matter which side...you will not be in the majority forever.

Democrats have learned that lesson with getting rid of the judicial filibusters. It came back to bite them in the ass hard.

Republicans and Democrats should both be very wary of getting rid of the legislative filibuster. Because that could change the face of America completely every time there is a single wave election.

Yep. Getting rid of the filibuster would be good short term for the GOP but long term that's a really dumb idea. Now I do think there should be changes to it, it's now just being used to completely obstruct everything by the minority party, but imagine the outrage if 5-10 years from now the Dems passed single payer with a simple majority. They better thing long and hard before opening Pandora's box.

(06-02-2017 10:56 AM)ark30inf Wrote:  Be very careful. The Senate is designed to slow down the majority. Whoever you are, no matter which side...you will not be in the majority forever.

Democrats have learned that lesson with getting rid of the judicial filibusters. It came back to bite them in the ass hard.

Republicans and Democrats should both be very wary of getting rid of the legislative filibuster. Because that could change the face of America completely every time there is a single wave election.

The Democrats will do it next time they are in control. Do you really doubt that?

(06-02-2017 11:47 AM)bullet Wrote:  The Democrats will do it next time they are in control. Do you really doubt that?

All the more reason to hard code some number in 55 - 60 as the number of votes required, rendering the filibuster moot.