Mitch McConnell Is Enraged As GOP Cracks Under Democrats’ Filibuster Reform Pressure

Moderate Senate Republicans are worried that Democrats will gut the filibuster, so they are defying Mitch McConnell and cooperating on legislation.

Greg Sargent of The Washington Post summed up the changing state of play in the Senate, “So this is where we are. Filibuster reform is far from a certainty, but it’s never been more possible than it is right now. Seeing the writing on the wall, moderate Republicans are suddenly eager for negotiation and cooperation, raising the chances of true bipartisan legislation. And Mitch McConnell is beside himself.:

McConnell’s threats about what Republicans will do if they get back the majority and Democrats kill the filibuster are the definition of an empty threat. Mitch McConnell is 79 years old. If Republicans don’t win the majority back in 2022, the odds are good that he won’t be in the Senate by the time Republicans take back power.

Mitch McConnell’s dire warnings are a sign of how afraid he is of what is likely coming. Real filibuster reform would make it more difficult for him to block legislation. Imagine if McConnell had to organize a talking filibuster for every bill that he wanted to kill. Republicans would be forced to stay in the chamber and talk, as soon as they stopped, Democrats could swoop in and pass their legislation.

The moderate Republicans want bipartisanship. Democrats want bipartisanship. The man standing in the way is Sen. McConnell. If Democrats keep the pressure on, they will not only convince their own caucus to reform the filibuster, but they will break Mitch McConnell’s undemocratic reign of obstruction.

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