Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to be the next Senate majority leader, said Friday he wants to abolish the filibuster and ruled out a potential presidential run in 2028.
Van Hollen, speaking to reporters at the What’s Next conference in Denver, argued that legislation should pass the Senate with simple-majority votes and that the filibuster, which requires senators to muster 60 votes to pass most legislation, is “undemocratic.”
“My personal opinion is that we need democracy in the United States Senate and that means allowing ultimately a majority of senators to answer the call of the American people, so that means 51 votes,” Van Hollen said.
“My personal view has been all along that the filibuster is an antidemocratic — small ‘d’ — provision. It’s not in our Constitution. It was put in there by senators to enhance their power over the power of the people,” he added.
Just keep the talking filibuster
40 votes to sustain a filibuster. If you can’t scare up 40 supporters or one of them goes to the bathroom in the middle of it then an immediate vote can be called and it’s toast. You’re right though that it should suck to carry on.
To an extent, I agree. The speech needs to be all about what you are filibustering and why. Going up there to read from a dictionary or a bed time story for kids should not be allowed. At that point, it’s all performative.