Several House Republicans have seen enough of Democratic filibusters in the Senate, and have introduced a resolution calling on Senate Republicans to do away with it so the chamber can take up legislation supported by the majority.
Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and seven other House members say the GOP needs to “abandon the modern filibuster rule and return to the historical filibuster rule.”
That call came just hours after the Senate tried and failed for the third time to advance a resolution disapproving of the Iran nuclear agreement. Sixty votes were needed to move the resolution to a final vote, but 42 Democrats voted against it and blocked it.
“[T]he Founding Fathers never intended for a significant portion of the Senate’s business to be able to be blocked by a minority,” the resolution reads.
It added that the 60 votes needed to advance a bill used to be used to stop debate if a senator was actually standing in the chamber and debating. But now, under a rule change in the 1970s, senators can place holds on legislation if they “simply announce their intention to filibuster.”
Under today’s system, the minority can routinely block the work of the majority, the House members added. The resolution says that today, the House can pass legislation that the Senate “may not agree with completely,” and as a result, a filibuster prevents the Senate from “making a legislative counteroffer to the House.”
The resolution says the House “expresses its firm disapproval of the Senate’s modern filibuster rule,” urges a change to the current rules, and reaffirms its commitment to “work with the Senate to end gridlock and pass legislation through regular order.”
Other sponsors of the resolution are Reps. Ralph Abraham, R-La., Michael Burgess, R-Texas, John Culberson, R-Texas, Bill Flores, R-Texas, Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Robert Wittman, R-Va.
Read the resolution here:
