Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Sunday it’s time to end the Senate filibuster to pass bills related to national security, including immigration.
“It should be a bipartisan issue but, if not, the Senate has that traditional rule,” McCaul said during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “I think they should waive it in this case on the basis of national security to protect the American people.”
Doing away with the filibuster rule would let Republicans advance and pass bills in the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than a supermajority of 60. The GOP only holds 51 seats in the upper chamber, which has made it difficult to pass every bill it wants even though it controls both the House and the Senate.
President Trump vented his frustration at the filibuster rule Thursday, and asked why the House would vote on an immigration bill that would not gain the support of ten Democrats in the Senate.
McCaul, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said the Senate should view the issue “from a national security standpoint.”
“I would argue though this is national security at stake,” he continued. “Securing our border, the threats I can tell you, not only drug cartels, opioids, but also the terrorists.”
