There’s a bit of dark symmetry taking place in Washington. Four years ago, Democrats held a trifecta ahead of a critical midterm election with their party’s fate uncertain and hoping to pass a sweeping federal election bill. Their Republican counterparts are now engaged in a similar legislative dance. All that stands in the way is the filibuster in the Senate — and it’s there the steps begin to become less familiar.
Even in the absence of evidence that the mass voter fraud that President Donald Trump has claimed is taking place, congressional Republicans are facing pressure from him to put their stamp on federal elections. The House passed the SAVE America Act earlier this month, a bill that threatens to raise the threshold for participating in elections for millions of Americans.
At least 50 Republican senators now back the bill — but that’s not enough to get past the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold. And so, in a major reversal, hardline Republicans are now the ones pushing for the current filibuster’s demise — or at least, reform — after years of defending it. Specifically, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the chief sponsor of the bill, and his allies are hoping to revive the so-called “talking filibuster” in an effort to get past Democrats.
This is a preview of Hayes Brown’s latest column. Read the full column here.
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