U.S. Constitution Framers Would've Been 'Diametrically Opposed' to Today's Filibuster: Senator
Senator Angus King, a Maine independent, said the framers of the U.S. Constitution would be "diametrically opposed" to the modern-day legislative filibuster in the Senate, suggesting that it needs to be reformed.
Most Democrats in Congress have voiced support for ending the filibuster or reforming the legislative maneuver, which prevents most legislation from moving forward unless it's backed by at least 60 senators. In an evenly split Senate, Democrats' ability to convince 10 Republican colleagues to join them on legislation often seems nearly impossible.
"I'm not really ready to say, 'Let's get rid of it altogether,' because I think there are circumstances where it makes sense. So I'd prefer some alternative to what the present rule is," King, who caucuses with the Democrats, explained during a Sunday interview with NBC News' Meet the Press.
"I'd like to restore the Senate to what it was, where we actually had debates and people had to hold the floor. And so I think some kind of talking filibuster, perhaps a rule that instead of having to have 60 votes to pass something, you'd have to have 41 votes to stop it. That way, the minority would at least have to show up. So we've got to do something about this, at least when it comes to something as crucial as democracy itself, as voting rights," he said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-constitution-framers-wouldve-been-diametrically-opposed-to-todays-filibuster-senator/ar-AAPTZQk
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