Last updated on March 16th, 2021 at 02:49 am
Stacey Abrams explained to Democrats and everyone else why Senate Democrats have the constitutional power to exempt voting rights bills from the filibuster.
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Stacey Abrams uses the Constitution to explain why voting rights legislation should be exempt from the filibuster. #SOTU pic.twitter.com/lcbdxdwp1A
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 14, 2021
Abrams said when asked about the filibuster on CNN’s State Of The Union:
I don’t think it’s necessary to wholly eliminate the filibuster to accomplish the purposes of passing these bills. The Elections Clause in the Constitution guarantees that the congress alone has the power to regulate the time, manner, and place of elections. That is a power that is sacrosanct.
We are watching across this country as individual legislators try to use the Big Lie to restrict access to vote. And just as we have seen an exemption carved into the filibuster rules for judicial appointments, cabinet appointments, and for budget reconciliation the protection of our democracy, especially in the wake of the insurrection of January 6th with its continued ripples, it demands the entire U.S. Senate acknowledge protection of democracy is so fundamental that it should be exempt from the filibuster rules. We encourage everyone to go to fairfight.com to learn more.
It is not complicated. Democrats can keep the filibuster, but exempt voting rights bills from it. Moderates like Joe Manchin have already signaled that they support changing the rules but not gutting the filibuster.
Senate Democrats are going to have to choose between an arcane and racist Senate rule, or allowing Republicans to rig elections through voter suppression.
Schumer wants to set the trap and prove to his caucus that Republicans will never work with them, so expect some legislation to placed on the Senate floor that Republicans will filibuster because Democrats know that the filibuster has got to be changed.
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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
