Chuck Schumer Neuters Mitch McConnell By Rejecting Filibuster Protection

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:29 pm

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) neutered Mitch McConnell’s ability to obstruct Biden by rejecting his demand for filibuster protection.

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Majority Leader Schumer said on the Senate floor:

In 2001, then-Majority Leader Lott and Minority Leader Daschle came together and agreed on a set of a rules to govern a 50-50 Senate. We should follow that precedent.

We have offered to abide by the same agreement the last time there was a 50-50 Senate. What’s fair is fair. That is the precedent. We could organize the Senate today if both sides agreed to abide by the same rules as last time.

The Republican Leader, however, has made an extraneous demand that would place additional constraints on the majority, constraints that have never been in place before. In fact, his proposal would remove a tool that the Republican Leader himself used twice, in just the last Congress, to accelerate the confirmation of Republican nominees.

Leader McConnell’s proposal is unacceptable, and it won’t be accepted. And the Republican Leader knew that when he first proposed it.

Schumer would have never flat out rejected McConnell’s demand if he didn’t have the votes in his back pocket to kill the filibuster.

Democrats have learned their lesson from the Obama years. There will no tyranny of the Republican Senate minority. Mitch McConnell will not be given the power to obstruct the Biden administration’s agenda.

Congress can give President Biden the time to build a bipartisan consensus on issues like the COVID rescue package because Schumer knows that they can pass it without Republican votes. Democrats are letting Joe Biden attempt to build unity, but they aren’t going to waste time courting Republicans.

Mitch McConnell looks to be on his way to being a spectator, as he is not going to get to obstruct Biden in the same way that he obstructed Barack Obama.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association