Senate Democrats think risk of nixing filibuster for abortion is worth the reward
by Al Weaver - 09/29/24 6:00 AM ET
Senate Democrats concede there is considerable risk to doing away with the filibuster to codify abortion rights, but also suggest they are likely to try to do so if they get the chance in 2025.
The risk is that once an exception is made for abortion rights, exceptions will be made by a future Republican Senate on a host of issues.
But Democrats say codifying abortion rights and other key legislative priorities is worth the risk.
“There’s real risk anytime there’s debate about rules and procedures in the Senate. It becomes very bitter,” Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said. “So yes, there is risk.”
“The other problem is there’s risk in having a Senate that’s more dedicated to rules and procedures than it is to getting things done,” Welch continued. “It’s very dangerous for the Senate as an institution to simply not address extraordinarily important issues like reproductive freedom, like voting rights.”
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) agreed on the potential long-term danger but stressed that Democrats have no choice given how the chamber has been operating.
“As far as I’m concerned, we should be discussing the rules going forward. We’re now in a dystopian situation in the Senate where we do very little, if any, legislating,” he said.
more
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4904116-senate-democrats-filibuster-abortion/
