The Democrat lawmakers do not seem to have the same fervor for ending the rule they once had while in the majority.
minute read
Top Democrats called for ending the filibuster in the Senate under the administration of former President Joe Biden. They have declined to do the same after President Donald Trump called on the GOP to end it to open the government, however, their past advocacy for terminating the filibuster gives credence to Trump's claim that should the Democrats regain power, they could very well abolish it and pass their entire agenda.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said just earlier this week, "The filibuster is an important part of what the Senate is. Right now we should maintain the filibuster." That is in stark contrast to what Sanders said just a few years ago. In 2021, Sanders was calling to end the legislative rule. "I happen to think that at the end of the day we have to end the filibuster."
He made the comments to CNN in the context of raising the minimum wage as well as getting the wealthy to "start paying their fair share in taxes."
The filibuster allows a lawmaker in the Senate to speak for however long they choose in opposition to a bill so long as the legislation does not pass the threshold of 60 votes. There are some ways around the filibuster, but Trump has called for the “nuclear option” to be invoked, which would allow the GOP to change the rules of the Senate and abolish the filibuster with just 51 votes or 50 votes with the addition of Vice President JD Vance.
California Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, also called to end the filibuster in 2021.
Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman could be a necessary vote. He backs abolishing the filibuster to get government back open. "It might be a noble pursuit to extend those tax credits. But it's the wrong tactic by keeping our government shut down like this," he said of his Democrat colleagues' keeping the government closed over Covid-era health insurance subsidies. The "real losers" in this situation are Americans, he said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said recently when he was questioned over ending the filibuster on CNN, "We don't need a procedural fix at this point." However, Raskin previously called to nuke the filibuster when Joe Biden was president.
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) also called to end the filibuster in 2021 when she appeared on Trevor Noah's show. "I would like to get rid of the filibuster. Or we're going to have to use some process like reconciliation to pass some of these really big bills that are needed." When she was asked about previously not being in favor of ending it, she said "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for the filibuster to be abolished under the Biden administration with the sole purpose of pushing through Biden's entire, radical agenda on climate change, packing the Supreme Court, federal funding for abortions, and other extreme policies. She backed Biden in this demand after Biden said the filibuster was a relic of the "Jim Crow" era of legalized racial segregation in the south
“I believe that President Biden should entertain expansion of the Supreme Court. I believe that he should forcefully come out in ending the filibuster of the United States Senate,” the congresswoman said when she appeared on Stephen Colbert’s show in 2022. Ocasio-Cortez has also drafted a number of posts on X to end the filibuster.
In September 2021, she wrote, “The fact is Dems CAN act now to protect our democracy, voting rights, integrity of our courts, and end minority rule. The Dem Senators in the way need to get on board. The stakes are too high. We must end the filibuster, expand the court, stop dark money & protect voting rights.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has repeatedly tried to tie the filibuster to racism, making the connection in 2021. On May 8, 2021, Jeffries posted to X, “The filibuster is a racially tinged artifact of the Jim Crow era. We cannot let it stand in the way of progress.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) also called to end the filibuster in 2021 so that the Democrats could pass their policy packages.
During Biden's presidency, many Democrat lawmakers pushed heavily to abolish the filibuster. However, at the time, moderate then-Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema vowed not to vote to abolish the procedural rule. Both have now left the Democrat Party. Now that Trump has called on the GOP in the Senate to abolish the filibuster.
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said just earlier this week, "The filibuster is an important part of what the Senate is. Right now we should maintain the filibuster." That is in stark contrast to what Sanders said just a few years ago. In 2021, Sanders was calling to end the legislative rule. "I happen to think that at the end of the day we have to end the filibuster."
He made the comments to CNN in the context of raising the minimum wage as well as getting the wealthy to "start paying their fair share in taxes."
The filibuster allows a lawmaker in the Senate to speak for however long they choose in opposition to a bill so long as the legislation does not pass the threshold of 60 votes. There are some ways around the filibuster, but Trump has called for the “nuclear option” to be invoked, which would allow the GOP to change the rules of the Senate and abolish the filibuster with just 51 votes or 50 votes with the addition of Vice President JD Vance.
California Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, also called to end the filibuster in 2021.
Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman could be a necessary vote. He backs abolishing the filibuster to get government back open. "It might be a noble pursuit to extend those tax credits. But it's the wrong tactic by keeping our government shut down like this," he said of his Democrat colleagues' keeping the government closed over Covid-era health insurance subsidies. The "real losers" in this situation are Americans, he said.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said recently when he was questioned over ending the filibuster on CNN, "We don't need a procedural fix at this point." However, Raskin previously called to nuke the filibuster when Joe Biden was president.
Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) also called to end the filibuster in 2021 when she appeared on Trevor Noah's show. "I would like to get rid of the filibuster. Or we're going to have to use some process like reconciliation to pass some of these really big bills that are needed." When she was asked about previously not being in favor of ending it, she said "Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for the filibuster to be abolished under the Biden administration with the sole purpose of pushing through Biden's entire, radical agenda on climate change, packing the Supreme Court, federal funding for abortions, and other extreme policies. She backed Biden in this demand after Biden said the filibuster was a relic of the "Jim Crow" era of legalized racial segregation in the south
“I believe that President Biden should entertain expansion of the Supreme Court. I believe that he should forcefully come out in ending the filibuster of the United States Senate,” the congresswoman said when she appeared on Stephen Colbert’s show in 2022. Ocasio-Cortez has also drafted a number of posts on X to end the filibuster.
In September 2021, she wrote, “The fact is Dems CAN act now to protect our democracy, voting rights, integrity of our courts, and end minority rule. The Dem Senators in the way need to get on board. The stakes are too high. We must end the filibuster, expand the court, stop dark money & protect voting rights.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has repeatedly tried to tie the filibuster to racism, making the connection in 2021. On May 8, 2021, Jeffries posted to X, “The filibuster is a racially tinged artifact of the Jim Crow era. We cannot let it stand in the way of progress.”
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) also called to end the filibuster in 2021 so that the Democrats could pass their policy packages.
During Biden's presidency, many Democrat lawmakers pushed heavily to abolish the filibuster. However, at the time, moderate then-Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema vowed not to vote to abolish the procedural rule. Both have now left the Democrat Party. Now that Trump has called on the GOP in the Senate to abolish the filibuster.
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