President Biden is bound and determined to ram his agenda through Congress and into law. The Democrat president has made it clear that garnering bipartisan support on his policies and proposals is not a priority, as have Democrat legislators.
Right now, there is very little standing in the way of the 46th president. The House of Representatives and the Senate continue to be controlled by Democrats, making it very easy for Biden to get bills passed without any Republican votes. Americans witnessed this happen earlier this month with the American Rescue Plan.
One of the few things standing in the way of Biden and Democrat lawmakers having full and total control is the Senate filibuster. Therefore, it is no coincidence that President Biden came out yesterday and admitted that he’d like to see some changes made to the filibuster, reports Breitbart News.
Biden on “Reforming” the U.S. Senate Filibuster
On Tuesday, Biden spoke with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos. During this interview, the president faced questions about whether the preservation of the filibuster would ultimately impede the passing of his agenda.
Breaking Senate rules to kill the filibuster would not open up an express lane to liberal change. It would not open up an express lane for the Biden presidency to speed into the history books. The Senate would function more like a hundred-car pile-up. Nothing moving.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) March 16, 2021
Biden then responded by expressing an interest in a reformation of the Senate filibuster. The former president explained that during his time as lawmaker, the filibuster required one to “command the floor” and keep speaking. Therefore, this is what Biden seeks to bring back, as opposed to the current filibuster.
Furthermore, Biden claimed that the filibuster, as it currently stands, is blocking functional democracy.
The Truth About the Senate Filibuster
No matter what Biden says about the filibuster during an interview, there are some undeniable truths. First and foremost, the filibuster gives a voice to the minority party in the Senate; for now, this minority party just so happens to be Republicans.
Secondly, the filibuster is the one thing Republicans have going to put a check on radical agendas from Biden and Democrats. One example of radical legislation that the filibuster could stop is the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
The #ABCtest in the #PROAct will eliminate millions of freelancer jobs, forcing freelancers to accept W-2 employment. Most freelancers choose their path of work bc of the freedom it brings. The PRO Act would take away that freedom. @Freelancers_USA https://t.co/nOUeaHpxAx
— Dylan Kraayenbrink (@dkphotoxyz) March 14, 2021
Without the filibuster, this bill could pass the Senate; if the PRO Act passes, millions of freelancers’ and independent contactors’ livelihoods would become endangered. Mooreover, many more Americans would be forced into unions, whether they like it or not.
Biden’s support for “reforming” the filibuster is methodical and political. It additionally comes at a time when Democrats are rallying to abolish the filibuster altogether.
What do you think about the Senate filibuster? Should it face changes, abolition, or simply be left alone? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.