President Joe Biden didn’t commit to nixing the Senate filibuster rule despite agreeing with former President Barack Obama that the procedure was a relic of Jim Crow segregation laws.
“Yes,” Biden said Thursday when asked if he concurred with his old boss, who made the comparison last year during the funeral of civil rights leader and Georgia Rep. John Lewis.
Biden added, “Successful electoral politics is the art of the possible. Let’s figure out how to get this done and significantly change the abuse of the filibuster rule.”
SIGNS OF DISSENSION IN DEMOCRATIC RANKS COULD COMPLICATE BIDEN AGENDA
President @JoeBiden: “Successful electoral politics is the art of the possible. Let’s figure out how we can get this done and move in the direction of significantly changing the abuse of even the filibuster rule.” pic.twitter.com/H5pwwzBm4M
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 25, 2021
Biden had earlier indicated that he would be open to going “beyond” his suggestion of weakening the Senate filibuster rule to a “talking filibuster.” The current framework requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass legislation, while a “talking filibuster” would limit minority party challenges to bills to delaying their progress through the chamber.
“If there’s complete lockdown and chaos as a consequence of the filibuster, then we’ll have to go beyond what I’m talking about,” he said.
It wasn’t the only time the body of state and local laws that continued racial segregation in the country’s south was mentioned during Biden’s first solo press conference in the White House. Biden described Republican voting restrictions, including those being considered in the battleground state of Georgia, as “un-American” and “sick.” Republicans contend that the ideas put forward would ensure election integrity.
“I’m convinced that we’ll be able to stop this because it is the most pernicious thing — this makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle,” Biden said.
.@JoeBiden calls new voting laws in state legislatures “sick,” comparing the measures to Jim Crow laws.
“This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.” pic.twitter.com/rbqjZt15AX
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 25, 2021
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Biden started his press conference by announcing that he was increasing his COVID-19 vaccination target to 200 million shots within his first 100 days in office.
