(AmericanProsperity.com) – As Democrats struggle to push their agenda through Congress, they are getting creative with ways to get around our system of checks and balances. But, one recent suggestion by the Left — axing the filibuster — is gaining momentum as former First Lady Hillary Clinton joined in the fight.
Clinton Says Filibuster “Stands In The Way” of Legislation
On Thursday, April 1, in an interview with Jennifer Palmiere on her podcast “Just Something About Her,” Hillary Clinton said that the filibuster “stands in the way of a lot of legislation.” In fact, it does. However, the filibuster’s purpose is to give power to the minority party by allowing them to block unwanted legislation. Protecting the little guy is something the framers of our Constitution intentionally safeguarded.
The former first lady highlighted that the filibuster “should be lifted for constitutional matters,” although it’s likely Democrats could fit just about anything they wanted into that broad scope, such as the For the People Act, a Democrat-sponsored bill centered on voting rights.
Democrats Want to Bend the Rules in Their Favor
Right now, 60 Senators must band together to break a filibuster and move a bill to vote. With a 50-50 split in the Senate, Democrats believe the filibuster is a “roadblock” keeping them from passing their agenda. But, when looked at without bias, the filibuster is simply a procedural tool, defined by Senate Rule 22, which forces parties to listen to each other’s concerns and elicit some measure of bipartisan support.
If a law is truly one that America needs, 60 of our 100 Senators should be able to agree upon it. That is why the ability of the minority party to delay a bill vote by using a filibuster is critical to keeping Congress in check.
Democrats Still Unlikely to Nix the Filibuster
To eliminate the filibuster, 67 or more Senators would have to vote to change current Senate rules, which is unlikely with the current split. However, there may be a Democratic push to change the interpretation of the rules to more or less functionally eliminate the filibuster. This strategy, called the “nuclear option,” has been used before but could unleash a whole new set of questions about congressional rules.
Like all parts of our checks and balances system, the filibuster is critical to protecting Americans from the tyranny of the majority, or almost-majority in this case. Conservative lawmakers will continue to fight for everyday Americans by protecting the filibuster from extinction to keep the Left’s socialist agenda at bay.
~Here’s to Your Prosperity!
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