Chuck Schumer neutralizes Mitch McConnell by rejecting filibuster safety

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) neutralized Mitch McConnell’s ability to interfere with Biden by denying his request for filibuster protection.

Video:

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer rejects Mitch McConnell’s plan to protect the Filibuster and hamper the Biden agenda. pic.twitter.com/guhW2D66l8

– Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 22, 2021

Majority Leader Schumer said in the Senate:

In 2001, then majority leader Lott and minority leader Daschle came together and agreed on a set of rules for the government of a 50:50 Senate. We should follow this precedent.

We offered to honor the same agreement the last time there was a 50:50 Senate. What’s fair is fair. That is the precedent. We could organize the Senate today if both sides agreed to follow the same rules as last time.

However, the Republican leader has made a foreign demand that would impose additional restrictions on the majority, restrictions that have never been before. In fact, his proposal would remove a tool the Republican leader himself had used twice in the last Congress to expedite the approval of Republican candidates.

Leader McConnell’s proposal is unacceptable and will not be accepted. And the Republican leader knew this when he first suggested it.

Schumer would never have rejected McConnell’s demand with all his might if he hadn’t had the votes in his back pocket to kill the filibuster.

Democrats learned their lesson from the Obama years. There will be no tyranny of the Republican Senate minority. Mitch McConnell will not be given power to obstruct the Biden administration’s agenda.

Congress can give President Biden the time to reach bipartisan consensus on issues like the COVID bailout, as Schumer knows they can pass it without Republican votes. Democrats let Joe Biden try to create unity, but they won’t waste time courting Republicans.

Mitch McConnell seems to be on his way to becoming a bystander as he isn’t going to hinder Biden the way he hindered Barack Obama.

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Mr. Easley is the Founder / Executive Editor, White House Press Pool, and a Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public order with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association