Despite opposition from within their own party, Senate Democrats plan to vote on requiring a “talking filibuster” for those who want to block voting and election overhaul legislation, leadership announced Tuesday.
“If Republicans block cloture on legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said at a press conference.
Democrats say they’ll bring up the rule because of Republican opposition to two election and voting overhaul bills now up for debate on the Senate floor. The two bills would increase federal oversight of changes to election laws and realignment of voting districts in some states and would roll back voter integrity laws passed by GOP state legislatures that Democrats believe would hinder access to the polls.
The rule change would require senators who oppose ending debate on the measure to engage in a real filibuster, which is essentially nonstop talking on the Senate floor.
“It’s switching a secret filibuster into a public and transparent filibuster so everyone on this floor can be held accountable for their actions,” Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who devised the rule change, said Tuesday.
Democrats are poised to take on members of their own party in their quest to change the filibuster. Democrats will need all 50 party lawmakers to back the change.
REPUBLICANS BASH DEMOCRATIC HYPOCRISY IN FILIBUSTER FIGHT
But at least two Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, said they won’t vote to end the 60-vote threshold.
Manchin on Tuesday said he’ll also vote against a talking filibuster replacement for the 60-vote threshold.
Other Senate Democrats from swing states are uncomfortable with changes or have remained vague, including Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly, who is up for reelection in November.
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Schumer dismissed the holdouts in his own party — even though they will ultimately prevent the rules change.
“The vast majority of our caucus strongly disagrees with Sen. Manchin and Sinema on rules changes,” Schumer said. “The overwhelming majority of our caucus knows that if you’re going to try to rely on Republican votes, you will get zero progress on voting rights right now. Zero.”
