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Senate Dems were never going to just kill the filibuster as part of an aggressive power grab to open the year. If they're going to do it (and I don't know if they will), they need a pretext.
So the real question is what will happen months down the road.
So the real question is what will happen months down the road.
The question is: what is something that Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and Joe Biden all really, really want to become law, for which Republican obstruction would be outrageous enough to justify nuking the filibuster? Does such a thing exist?
It is possible they find such a thing. It is also possible that Manchin, Sinema, and yes, Biden, are more comfortable seeing the vast majority of liberal priorities bottled up by the filibuster. That there's nothing they want so badly as to change the rules to get it.
Could a more ruthless and pragmatic party leadership get Manchin or other holdouts to cave?
Possible. But such bringing such pressure to bear could backfire quite badly. As GOP leaders found out to their chagrin in the last 50-50 Senate, in '01.
Possible. But such bringing such pressure to bear could backfire quite badly. As GOP leaders found out to their chagrin in the last 50-50 Senate, in '01.
People are making this point a lot. It's currently not being very persuasive to Democratic senators because Schumer has signaled he expects a deal on the organizing resolution.
If Mitch truly does drag things out indefinitely, I would expect Ds to act https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1353775643784318977
If Mitch truly does drag things out indefinitely, I would expect Ds to act https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1353775643784318977
