Eliminate the Legislative Filibuster?
Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote but are facing calls to invoke the “nuclear option” and eliminate the filibuster, thereby allowing the passage of legislation with a simple majority.
The legislative filibuster, known as a cloture motion, requires three-fifths of the Senate (typically 60 members) to vote in favor of limiting further debate on a bill to 30 hours before a passage vote—which typically only requires a simple majority.
To invoke the nuclear option and eliminate the legislative filibuster, all 50 Senate Democrats would have to vote in favor to allow Vice President Harris to break the tie. Two notable moderate Democrats have said they won’t vote to end the legislative filibuster since their party took the majority, which for now leaves Democrats unable to use the nuclear option.
Should Democrats eliminate the Senate’s filibuster?
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