Abolish the filibuster, save democracy

TAKUYA AMAGAI: Currently, Democrats are at a crossroads on whether they should abolish the filibuster, a rule in the Senate that requires at least 60 votes to pass most legislation. There is recognition that not abolishing the filibuster would sideline much of President Biden and the Democratic Party’s agenda, most of which is highly unlikely to get ten votes from Republican Senators. Not getting rid of the filibuster will also limit the Democratic Party’s options when the Republican Party is pushing to restrict voter’s access to polls nationwide.

Currently there are 250 bills proposed in 43 states that would limit voter participation in one way or another.  If Republicans succeed in making it more difficult for Democratic leaning voters to vote, and redraw legislative districts to their advantage, Democrats could be locked out of power for a very long time. Despite this clear and present danger, some Democratic senators, such as Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema are still hesitant to abolish or reform the filibuster. Today I would like to address commonly cited arguments against the filibuster.

Would Republicans retaliate in the future and pass conservative priorities?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned that if the filibuster were abolished Republicans would not only reverse any bills passed by Democrats, but also pass conservative legislation such as defunding Planned Parenthood. It is certainly possible that in a future filibuster less world, Republicans can more easily pass legislation that addresses their priorities. We also shouldn’t assume that the Republicans will keep the filibuster the next time they have a trifecta. While Senator Mitch McConnell did not abolish the filibuster during the last Republican trifecta, it is doubtful that he or another Republican Senate Majority Leader would keep the filibuster if there is a strong enough incentive to abolish the filibuster to advance conservative principles. Instead of hoping Republicans will be benevolent the next time they are in power, Democrats should reform or abolish the filibuster now, and pass as many popular bills they can before the midterms. Otherwise, they may be in a position where they could be completely powerless for decades.

Would Republicans make it difficult to achieve anything in the US Senate?

In the same speech, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also warned that if the filibuster were abolished it would lead to a “completely scorched earth Senate”. Again it is definitely possible that Republicans will choose to grind the Senate down to a halt in retaliation for the abolishment of the filibuster. We should also note that Democrats are already facing obstruction from Republicans even with the filibuster intact. For example, Senator Ron Johnson has delayed a COVID-19 relief bill by ten hours by forcing the Senate Clerks to read every word of the 600 page bill. Members of President Biden’s Cabinet have faced Republican obstruction, forcing the Senate to take an extra time consuming process known as Cloture to move the confirmation process forward. Considering that there already is Republican obstruction in the Senate, Democrats should not let the threat of more obstruction deter them from changing the filibuster. If Republicans insist on slowing down Senate operations for even the most noncontroversial bills and nominees in retaliation for changing the filibuster, Democrats should consider modifying additional Senate procedures that would lead to gridlock.

If Democrats do get rid of the filibuster, they should still seek collaboration with Republicans, as long as their input in legislation is in the public interest. After all, ignoring Republicans completely would ultimately backfire the next time Republicans have unified control of government. However, threats of future retaliation and obstruction should not deter Democrats from abolishing the filibuster. The filibuster is currently standing in the way of ensuring that every American has a say in their government. Issues such as racial injustice, climate change and income inequality remain unresolved because it is almost impossible to get 60 votes in an increasingly polarized world. The filibuster must go if there is any hope for a brighter future for all.

Takuya Amagai is an MPP Student in Class 2022. He is originally from Tokyo, Japan, and is a cat and dog person.