Filibuster Archives

Filibuster Is Becoming a Litmus Test for Dem Candidates

March 23, 2021March 23, 2021 Buck Banks

“I would be surprised if there’s anyone in any of these competitive states… that would support maintaining the filibuster. Getting rid of the filibuster is as close to a litmus test for our party as I can describe.”

— Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), quoted by Politico, about how Senate candidates are campaigning on the filibuster.

The Downside of a ‘Talking Filibuster’ — Lindsey Graham

March 19, 2021 Buck Banks

“I would talk ’til I fell over to make sure we don’t go to ballot harvesting and voting by mail without ID. I would talk ’til I fell over to make sure that the Equality Act doesn’t become law, destroying the difference between a man and woman in our law.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by The Hill, threatening to make full use of the so-called “talking filibuster” if Democrats reform the Senate procedural move.

Clyburn Favors Option to Burning Down Filibuster

March 16, 2021 Buck Banks

“I’m not going to say that you must get rid of the filibuster entirely. I would say you would do well to develop a Manchin-Sinema rule on getting around the filibuster as it relates to race and civil rights.”

— Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), quoted by The Guardian.

Some Optimism About Ending the Filibuster

March 16, 2021 Buck Banks

“Despite all of this, I am more hopeful today than I have been in a long time that Senate Democrats will eliminate the filibuster, pass H.R. 1, and save democracy. It’s very far from a done deal. There is a lot of work to do, but if you squint hard enough and read between the lines, you can see real reasons for optimism.”

Well, the filibuster met its ignominious fate,
And U.S. senators no longer have to deliberate.
And as for Neil Gorsuch,
One doesn’t have to say much,
Except our newest justice and our president are equally legitimate.

McCain: Supporters of ‘Nuclear Option’ Are ‘Stupid’

April 7, 2017 Buck Banks

“Idiot, whoever says that is a stupid idiot, who has not been here and seen what I’ve been through and how we were able to avoid that on several occasions. And they are stupid and they’ve deceived their voters because they are so stupid.”

— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), expressing his is anger that the “nuclear option” will not be avoided in the fight over Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, the Washington Post reports.

Senate Democrats Reach Filibuster Threshold

April 4, 2017 Buck Banks

41

Senate Democrats “appeared to secure the votes necessary to filibuster the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, sending the body hurtling toward a bitter partisan confrontation later this week,” the New York Times reports.

Who’s Got the Button?

February 2, 2017February 23, 2017 Buck Banks

“Go nuclear!” said the Trump to McConnell,
If his SCOTUS choice the Democrats do throttle.
With bravado and bluster —
Poof! No more filibuster!
Let’s just hope Trump doesn’t lead by example.

Obama Supports Ending Senate Filibuster

February 10, 2015 Buck Banks

Probably the one thing that we could change without a constitutional amendment that would make a difference here would be the elimination of the routine use of the filibuster in the Senate. Because I think that does, in an era in which the parties are more polarized, it almost ensures greater gridlock and less clarity in terms of the positions of the parties. There’s nothing in the Constitution that requires it.

Tag: Filibuster

Filibuster Is Becoming a Litmus Test for Dem Candidates

“I would be surprised if there’s anyone in any of these competitive states… that would support maintaining the filibuster. Getting rid of the filibuster is as close to a litmus test for our party as I can describe.”

— Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), quoted by Politico, about how Senate candidates are campaigning on the filibuster.

Remember the Filibuster?

— Ruth Marcus

The Downside of a ‘Talking Filibuster’ — Lindsey Graham

“I would talk ’til I fell over to make sure we don’t go to ballot harvesting and voting by mail without ID. I would talk ’til I fell over to make sure that the Equality Act doesn’t become law, destroying the difference between a man and woman in our law.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by The Hill, threatening to make full use of the so-called “talking filibuster” if Democrats reform the Senate procedural move.

Clyburn Favors Option to Burning Down Filibuster

“I’m not going to say that you must get rid of the filibuster entirely. I would say you would do well to develop a Manchin-Sinema rule on getting around the filibuster as it relates to race and civil rights.”

— Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), quoted by The Guardian.

Some Optimism About Ending the Filibuster

— Dan Pfeiffer

Neither Got the Votes

McCain: Supporters of ‘Nuclear Option’ Are ‘Stupid’

— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), expressing his is anger that the “nuclear option” will not be avoided in the fight over Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, the Washington Post reports.

Senate Democrats Reach Filibuster Threshold

41

Senate Democrats “appeared to secure the votes necessary to filibuster the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, sending the body hurtling toward a bitter partisan confrontation later this week,” the New York Times reports.

Who’s Got the Button?

Obama Supports Ending Senate Filibuster

— President Obama, telling Vox the U.S. Senate should eliminate the filibuster.

Numerati

33%

“The volume of Canadians taking road trips into the U.S.—the means by which most Canadians visit—dropped by 33% last month compared to June 2024, following a 38% drop in May,” Forbes reports.

53%

A new Morning Consult poll finds 53% of Americans don’t know why the American colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence to separate from Britain on July 4, 1776.

$1.6 billion

President Trump’s pardons and commutations have cost more than $100 million in fines owed to the federal government and another $1.5 billion in restitution to victims, Forbes reports.

58%

$3.3 trillion