So all those GOP Senators who were so adamant that the filibuster was the critical tool to maintain civility, order, and to prevent radical law-passage by a tyrannical majority — back when they were the minority in the Senate — are now beginning to wonder if they should chip away at it a bit more now that they are in the Majority and the Democrats are the ones blocking stuff.
True, Harry Reid did make a Senate rules change by eliminating the filibuster on certain federal appointments (once the judiciary and some federal agencies were getting to the point of not being able to operate because of nominees being blocked). But the proposal here seems more fundamental — and, not surprisingly, it's actually being spearheaded by more recent (and radical) GOP Senate electees who seem to assume that (just like Oceania's War with Eastasia), the GOP has always and will always run the Senate.
The surprising thing is that the older, ostensibly wiser heads are beginning to agree with the firebrand and ignore the truism that, sooner or later, the majority will be the minority again.
(I will be honest enough to say that while the GOP obstructionism prior to the last mid-terms caused me a lot of heartburn, I have little problem with the Democratic obstructionism since then. Though that's also driven, in part, by a bit of "sauce for the gander" sense of justice.)
(I also enjoy some of the inter-chamber sniping in the article. Regardless of the party in control, neither chamber of Congress likes being dictated to by the other.)
Senate Republicans open door to weakening the filibuster
McConnell is setting up a task force to look at changing the filibuster rules.
I don't mind the Democrats using the filibuster because they've shown willingness to compromise to get legislation actually passed. The Republicans used the filibuster like a toddler uses a screaming tantrum; it was either everything they wanted or it wasn't going through.
+Brittany Constable That's not a bad distinction. It certainly seems to me that the scenarios have been more like.
Dems: We want to pass a bill that …
GOP: NO!
Dems: Well, would you be willing to provide some input on …
GOP: NO! [Filibuster]
vs
GOP: We are finally passing a bill that does everything we have been promising the base we would do for years.
Dems: Um, there are a few provisions here we'd like to at least discuss …
GOP: NO!
Dems: [Filibuster]
Now, I also admit I might be biased.
Yeah, I'll definitely admit to being biased a bit too, since the Dems are filibustering bills I don't like and the GOP was filibustering bills I did. But it's not really fair to equate the two, given the GOP's complete disconnect with the procedures of sensible governance.