Mitch McConnell Wins Filibuster Battle as Primary Pressure Builds on Chuck Schumer
Sanity wins out!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Mitch McConnell Wins Filibuster Battle as Primary Pressure Builds on Chuck Schumer
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky won the filibuster battle on Monday, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer faced mounting pressure from his home state to end the procedural tool amidst a potential primary challenge.
© Melina Mara/Getty Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky after the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Two Democratic senators—Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona—affirmed their support for protecting the 60-vote legislative filibuster today. Their positions have assured Republicans that Democrats don't have enough votes to nix the procedural tool despite escalating pressure from progressives and outside left-wing activist groups. Shortly after, McConnell confirmed that power sharing negotiations will continue after days of deadlock over how to organize the 50-50 split Senate.
"Today, two Democratic Senators publicly confirmed they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster," McConnell said. "They agree with President Biden's and my view that no Senate majority should destroy the right of future minorities of both parties to help shape legislation."
"The legislative filibuster was a key part of the foundation beneath the Senate's last 50-50 power-sharing agreement in 2001. With these assurances, I look forward to moving ahead with a power-sharing agreement modeled on that precedent," he added.
Meanwhile, Schumer is facing increasing primary pressure as he juggles competing priorities within the fractured Democratic party, including the recent calls to kill the filibuster. Progressives want to pave the way for Biden to push through a left-wing agenda without interruption under the currently Democratic-controlled Senate, while moderates are hesitant to completely restrain Republicans' influence on legislative matters.
According to Politico, Just Democracy, a coalition of dozens of organizations championed by minorities, is launching an ad campaign in Schumer's home state of New York to pressure the senate leader into eliminating the filibuster.
The ads will go up in Times Square and will feature quotes from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling it a "cherished tool of segregationists." Earlier this month, Ocasio-Cortez refused to rule out challenging Schumer in the 2022 election cycle.
Additionally, Schumer still has to maneuver former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, confirm Biden's Cabinet picks and manage the next stimulus package, which Senate Republicans have already opposed. Even if he wanted to abolish the filibuster, the Democrat would have to not only convince moderates, but also potentially Biden, who campaigned heavily on the promise of unity between parties.
McConnell and Schumer are expected to negotiate a deal similar to the 2001 power sharing agreement. Without nixing the filibuster, Democrats could still use reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority, but that method can only be used on spending and tax bills.
Newsweek reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for comment.
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Thank God AOC doesn't get to decide this.
Thank God for a few sane, reasonable Democrats forcing Schumer's hand.
Not yet, if you read closer.
If McConnell decides to push it and start the filibuster party like the Republicans did during Obama's administration, you may then see Schumar bring it up for a vote. If the vote fails, then McConnell will have won, preventing democratic majority voting from occurring in the Senate.
If there is one thing we have seen last year and this, it is that the Republicans are opposed to Democracy, and majority wins voting.
If you read the article, you would know that two Democratic Senators have come out against it.
https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/what-is-the-senate-filibuster-and-what-would-it-take-to-eliminate-it/
He assumes the Democrats are liars, I guess. Which isn't a bad bet.
If the Republicans abuse the filibuster you can guarantee that the Dems will kill it. It's important that both parties work together or no one will get what they want.
What does that mean? Does than mean Republicans should just go along with all the radical shit or the two moderate democrats will switch their votes?
HR 1 has to be dead on arrival as does all that money for states & teachers buried in the pandemic relief bill.
There is not one Republican senator who says they will vote to convict Trump . There is no "working together". Biden and Schumer should give it about another week , take a test vote, and then ram the Covid relief bill through with the reconciliation process.
I will guarantee no such thing.
I don't believe Democrats overall are that stupid.
As I said to Evilgenius, the projected impeachment vote is a good indicator of what the Republicans in the senate intend. Zero co-operation unless the bill up for vote is one they proposed. The Democrats are not going to sit quietly through Obama II or Trump II.
It's pretty simple, Vic. It means that if Republicans do again what they did during the Obama admin - filibuster everything.
I know you right wing partisians see anything from the Dems as radical shit, but we'll see what comes.
I haven't read it, but I expect a lot of behind the scenes maneuvering and changes to be made before it comes up for a vote. As with most things coming from Congress I expect anything that passes will have some good and some bad. It's the nature of politics.
I'm not as optimistic as you are, I guess.
I'm just thinking that there are enough intelligent Senators to realize that one day the shoe will be on the other foot.
You see John, the idea of the filibuster is to encourage bipartisanship. There are times when that may not be possible. The nation is divided as is the Senate. Maybe nothing will be agreed to. I recommend the democrats play it straight. If they want to sponsor a pandemic relief bill it should be just that. No $15 minimum wage included, no money for the fucking teachers union and no money for dysfunctional states. Just make it about the $1,400 individual check and $400 unemployment increase. That would be an easy bill to pass!
That's their motto. Can't let a good crises go to waste. Covid will be the excuse for a whole laundry list of democratic party wish fulfillment. So now the rest of the country will bail out John's corrupt state. Win for John. Win for the Democratic mafia who used the state to enrich themselves, their families and their cronies. Bad for those who live in states that try to govern competently
Oh, my, how horrible that at least Republican Senators haven't decided the outcome of a case that hasn't even been to trial yet!
One presumes they have televisions and internet connections.
Actually, in America, one should presume innocence until proven guilty.
Which, apparently many Democrats are clearly unable or unwilling to do.
Yay, democracy!
Get back to me in a couple of months and we'll talk. LOL. We'll see what any bi-partisan dynamic looks like then. That will set up the dynamic for 2022 mid-terms.
Bipartisan decision for impeachment found in the House. So it has been to trial once so far.
That type of comment merely proves that perhaps your "understanding" of what impeachment is is severely lacking.
Here:
Impeachment in the United States - Wikipedia
Hey Texan, did I ever say "criminal" trial?????
Nope, nor did I claim you did. What are you reading?
But you did state this:
which is, of course, totally false.
WE KNOW republican supporters are
When you read the article and the posts, I am sure your comments will start to make more sense.
The filibuster has never been about sanity.
I never claimed such.
Thanks anyways for your comment.
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I like Sinema. She's obviously a left wing Democrat and will vote accordingly almost all of the time, but she's one of the only Democratic Senators who will stand up to the left wing crazies every once in a while and show some spine. Pretty much every other Democratic Senator is just a replaceable cog who never acts independently of the party, so it's nice to see their is at least one Democrat who can think for herself.
Schumer told McConnell that he (Schumer) was never going to budge on the Senate organizing issue, and McConnell dropped it before the embarrassment got too overwhelming. Now Schumer can bring votes to the floor and he can flush out which if any of the senate Republicans mean to co-operate and do things for the American people.
This article is about the potential Democratic Party ending of filibusters.
Please stay on topic, thanks!
It's not my fault if some people don't understand whats going on in the Senate. Until the actual power to lead was handed over to Schumer so he can call votes the filibuster was irrelevant.
I refer you to the link in post 1.1.1.
That war is over. McConnell won and now the Senate can set up it's power sharing rules.
Schumer can point at the two moderate democrats and say "blame them not me!"
McConnell would have won if Schumer put it in writing not to try and end the filibuster. That did not happen.
Schumer won because now he can bring bills to the senate floor for a vote and expose Republicans ill will. When McConnell was majority leader he could protect his members by refusing to bring something to a floor vote on the claim that it didnt have 60 votes.
Now he will be unable to do that. The American people will be shocked at how unwilling the Republican senators are to help them.
McConnell did win.
Did you read the article?
McConnell lost. McConnell wanted it in writing that Schumer would not try and end the filibuster. He didnt get it.
What actually happened is McConnell realized he's not the majority leader anymore.
Still wrong.
Does the filibuster still exist in the Senate?
If McConnell lost, wouldn't that HAVE to be a no answer to the question?
Has there been a vote to remove it?
McConnell has neither won or lost the non-existent vote to end the filibuster. Just like Schumer has neither won or lost the non-existent vote.
Actually, McConnell lost. He was refusing to co-operate with the reorganizing of the Senate , which allows Schumer to control the committees and bring bills to a vote, unless Schumer put it in writing that the Democrats would not attempt to end the filibuster. They are now going to reorganize the Senate control without the Democrats promising not to try and end the filibuster.
Yes he did, but not in the way Texan was trying to strawman.
Agreed. I have to wonder what options Schumer had if McConnell had refused. There must have been something, or else McConnel would never have gone belly up.
Attempting to answer a question with another one is rather pointless and silly.
But by all means, carry on!
So is when you are trying to strawman an argument.
McConnell lost, the existence of the filibuster has not been brought into question in relations to McConnell losing the 1st round to Schumer.
TiG seeded an article about strawman arguments.
You should read it.
And then retract your frivolous claim.
I did read it, then I looked it up in the dictionary, and it had a picture of your avatar next to the definition.
Not interested in what you may or may not have drawn in your coloring books.