Byron York's Daily Memo: The Democrats’ filibuster hypocrisy
by Byron York, Chief Political Correspondent |
| March 17, 2021 09:23 AM THE DEMOCRATS' FILIBUSTER HYPOCRISY. On April 7, 2017, less than four years ago, a majority of Democrats in the U.S. Senate joined a majority of Republicans to sign a letter supporting the filibuster. The letter, to Senate leaders Mitch McConnell and Charles Schumer, began: "We are writing to urge you to support our efforts to preserve existing rules, practices, and traditions as they pertain to the right of members to engage in extended debate on legislation before the United States Senate."
The senators continued: "We are united in our determination to preserve the ability of members to engage in extended debate when bills are sent to the floor." The Senate plays a "unique role" in the legislative process, the senators said, and that role should continue unchanged. "Therefore, we are asking you to join us in opposing any effort to curtail the existing rights and prerogatives of senators to engage in full, robust, and extended debate as we consider legislation before this body in the future," the letter concluded.
Thirty-three Democrats signed the letter -- Senators Chris Coons, Joe Manchin, Claire McCaskill, Patrick Leahy, Angus King, Mark Warner, Michael Bennet, Amy Klobuchar, Bob Casey, Martin Heinrich, Jeanne Shaheen, Sherrod Brown, Dianne Feinstein, Kirsten Gillibrand, Brian Schatz, Heidi Heitkamp, Cory Booker, Maria Cantwell, Mazie Hirono, Joe Donnelly, Jon Tester, Thomas Carper, Kamala Harris, Maggie Hassan, Bill Nelson, Tammy Duckworth, Tim Kaine, Jack Reed, Ed Markey, Debbie Stabenow, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Bob Menendez. Some are now gone, but most remain in the Senate today.
One of the filibuster supporters was then-Senator Kamala Harris, now Vice President of the United States.
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