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Bust the Filibuster?

batmagadanleadoff Feb 11 2021 06:26 PM

Articles and opinions calling for Dems to kill the legislative filbuster are running about a dozen a day. Here's another reason: The GOP Cheat Code to Winning Back the House The stakes for Democrats' election-reform plan couldn't be higher. Democrats face a daunting future of severe Republican gerrymandering that could flip control of the House in 2022 and suppress diverse younger generations' political influence for years to come, according to a new study released today. Those findings underscore the stakes in Democrats' efforts to pass national legislation combatting such electoral manipulation. The four big states to watch are Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, where the GOP enjoys complete control over the redistricting process, says Michael Li, a senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice and the author of the new report on how congressional redistricting could unfold following the 2020 census. “Those four states, which are seat-rich and where Republicans control the process, could decide who controls the next Congress,” he told me. [***] “When Senate Democrats like Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and [Dianne] Feinstein oppose getting rid of the filibuster,” Pfeiffer added, “they are deciding to make it more likely that their time in the majority is ever so brief.” https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/02/democrats-need-hr-1-and-new-vra-protect-party/617987/

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 10:00 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

They'll pass the COVID relief bill by reconciliation which lets them off the hook for now. There'll probably be a voting rights bill soon after which will be where the rubber hits the road. The GQP will filibuster it. Then we'll see.

TransMonk Feb 12 2021 11:12 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

It needs to be nuked. Voting rights, DC statehood (maybe PR, too), pot decriminalization...these are all popular things that the MAJORITY of Americans support. The Dems should be doing everything to consolidate their power as they represent a MAJORITY of Americans at all levels of federally elected offices. If they don't make progress on these things, we'll go back to minority rule soon enough. We saw what that got us. There has never been a better time for Ds to plan for long-term governing.

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 11:44 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Agreed. But I've seen the Democrats pull defeat from the jaws of victory too many times. I'll be surprised if they don't F this up. The filibuster protects senators from having to take too many hard votes (on both sides). That's why it's popular; it's not like it's in the Constitution. Take voting rights. Just for arguments' sake, if Joe Manchin thinks a bill goes too far but doesn't want to vote against it because he'll be pinned as a racist, isn't it better to just blame the failure of the bill on those intransigent Republicans filibustering it? Then you can have your cake and eat it too.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2021 06:42 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Sen. Joe Manchin on ending the filibuster: 'Jesus Christ, what don't you understand about 'never'?' Charles Davis Mar 2, 2021, 16:21 IST Excerpt: In a democracy, 50% plus one equals a governing majority. But in the US Senate, it takes 60 votes - or arcane maneuvers like budget "reconciliation" - to get much of anything done thanks to the filibuster, a Senate rule allowing a senator or senators from the minority party to hold up a bill, which has ossified into a permanent obstacle. And that, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said Monday, will "never" change so long as he's around. https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/sen-joe-manchin-on-ending-the-filibuster-jesus-christ-what-dont-you-understand-about-never/articleshow/81284936.cms Actually, that could change, even with Manchin still around. I guess the Dems are gonna hafta hold the House in 2022 and pick up at least two more Senate seats.

Willets Point Mar 03 2021 08:28 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

The Dems need a Lyndon Johnson who lean on self-grandizing assholes like Manchin until they comply. Of course, the Dems need leadership whose entire ideology isn't based on needing a "strong Republican party" and prioritizing bipartisanship over everything else.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 03 2021 03:23 PM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Sen. Joe Manchin on ending the filibuster: 'Jesus Christ, what don't you understand about 'never'?' Charles Davis Mar 2, 2021, 16:21 IST Excerpt: In a democracy, 50% plus one equals a governing majority. But in the US Senate, it takes 60 votes - or arcane maneuvers like budget "reconciliation" - to get much of anything done thanks to the filibuster, a Senate rule allowing a senator or senators from the minority party to hold up a bill, which has ossified into a permanent obstacle. And that, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia said Monday, will "never" change so long as he's around. https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/sen-joe-manchin-on-ending-the-filibuster-jesus-christ-what-dont-you-understand-about-never/articleshow/81284936.cms Actually, that could change, even with Manchin still around. I guess the Dems are gonna hafta hold the House in 2022 and pick up at least two more Senate seats. Actually, the Dems would need only to net one Senate seat in 2022 to give them a two-seat 51-49 majority: one Dem pickup also means one GOP loss. Still, two pick-ups would be better than one. Even with a 51-49 majority, Manchin and Sinema, together, would have the power to kill the Dem agenda.

Marshmallowmilkshake Mar 03 2021 06:42 PM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Willets Point wrote: The Dems need a Lyndon Johnson who lean on self-grandizing assholes like Manchin until they comply. Of course, the Dems need leadership whose entire ideology isn't based on needing a "strong Republican party" and prioritizing bipartisanship over everything else. Manchin's state went to Trump 69-29, so is he a self-agrandizing asshole or is he representing the people who sent him there -- and would like to keep getting re-elected?

Willets Point Mar 03 2021 08:34 PM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

His term ends in 2025 and he'll likely be too old to start another 6 year term after that. This has nothing to do with reelection and everything to do with being elected as a Democrat but wants to vote as Republican. And the Dems let him get away with it, because??? I say it's time to call his bluff.

Lefty Specialist Mar 04 2021 04:47 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

The filibuster can be carved out. It was carved out for federal judges by Harry Reid. It was carved out for Supreme Court justices by Mitch McConnell. It has a carve-out for reconciliation. They need to make a carve-out for voting rights legislation. That way Sinema and Manchin can say they're not REALLY for eliminating the filibuster, just in this one instance. HR.1 passed the House last night, so it's showtime.

Fman99 Mar 04 2021 05:01 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster? Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 04 2021 05:41 AM

Lefty Specialist wrote: The filibuster can be carved out. It was carved out for federal judges by Harry Reid. It was carved out for Supreme Court justices by Mitch McConnell. It has a carve-out for reconciliation. They need to make a carve-out for voting rights legislation. That way Sinema and Manchin can say they're not REALLY for eliminating the filibuster, just in this one instance. HR.1 passed the House last night, so it's showtime. I think this ultimately is the path, the only path, that they have available, as long as Manchin is in office. This HR1 bill is important for so many reasons and they need to use whatever avenue allowed to push it through.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 04 2021 05:23 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

I'd like to see a carve-out for the admission of new states.

Lefty Specialist Mar 04 2021 09:23 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Yeah, Lefty Jr is all over that, being a resident who's subject to taxation without representation.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 04 2021 10:08 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Lefty Specialist wrote: Yeah, Lefty Jr is all over that, being a resident who's subject to taxation without representation. DC makes up 0.2% of the US population, yet contributed 0.8% of the total Federal tax revenue for the US -- four times the rate of its population. DC pays more in Federal taxes than 22 US states. DC would rank higher if it weren't such a small region. But pound for pound, according to this article, https://fortune.com/2017/04/16/tax-day-2017-most-tax-dollars/ DC pays more in Fed taxes per person than any other state in the Union. Yet Mitch McConnell opposes DC statehood because, according to him, it would be socialism. As if socialism is a very bad thing and his home state of Tennessee isn't one of the poorest states in the Union. Tennessee's overall Federal tax burden is ranked 48 out of 50 states. .

Benjamin Grimm Mar 04 2021 11:17 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

He's from Kentucky. Bourbon, not whiskey.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 04 2021 11:20 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: He's from Kentucky. Bourbon, not whiskey. Yeah, I knew that. Still, a brain fart, nonetheless.

nymr83 Mar 04 2021 11:31 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Willets Point wrote: His term ends in 2025 and he'll likely be too old to start another 6 year term after that. This has nothing to do with reelection and everything to do with being elected as a Democrat but wants to vote as Republican. And the Dems let him get away with it, because??? I say it's time to call his bluff. he is not "voting as a Republican" he is voting as Joe Manchin, a West Virginian. He was elected as "Joe Machin" as well. You think the D next to his name got him votes? I'd bet he'd get MORE votes in WV if he switched parties!

batmagadanleadoff Mar 04 2021 11:36 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Willets Point wrote: His term ends in 2025 and he'll likely be too old to start another 6 year term after that. This has nothing to do with reelection and everything to do with being elected as a Democrat but wants to vote as Republican. And the Dems let him get away with it, because??? I say it's time to call his bluff. he is not "voting as a Republican" he is voting as Joe Manchin, a West Virginian. He was elected as "Joe Machin" as well. You think the D next to his name got him votes? I'd bet he'd get MORE votes in WV if he switched parties! I thought of that yesterday. It'd be interesting to get a breakdown of how Manchin voters voted in WV's other US Senate race. How many Manchin voters voted R and D in the other race?

nymr83 Mar 05 2021 06:42 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

Impossible to say as Manchin was last on the ballot in 2018 where as Moore Capito was on the ballot in 2020 with obviously higher presidential election turnout. Manchin, despite total turnout that was about 500k in 2018 vs 800k in 2020, got more raw votes in WV in his last election than Joe Biden got in 2020!

Edgy MD Mar 05 2021 07:30 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

I'm not about ending the filibuster. What I'd like to see is legislation not dying because of the threat of a filibuster. If a party won't have the courage to bring a popular act to the floor because it doesn't yet have 60% commitment, I can't see them assembling the initiative and consensus to end the filibuster outright.

TransMonk Mar 05 2021 09:53 AM Re: Bust the Filibuster?

https://twitter.com/SenTinaSmith/status/1367868344158875654