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The Future Of The Senate Filibuster

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) heads to the Senate floor before being called into session in Washington, DC.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) heads to the Senate floor before being called into session in Washington, DC.

With the loss of both seats in the Georgia Senate runoff elections, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell went from Senate majority leader to Senate minority leader.

Now, he’s pushing to protect the Senate filibuster at all costs.

The filibuster is a Senate rule that impedes a piece of legislation from proceeding unless 60 senators vote to pass it. It’s often been responsible for congressional gridlock and was one of McConnell’s most potent tools in impeding former President Barack Obama’s policy goals.

Some Democrats are pushing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to give it the ax, once and for all. Two Democratic senators, however, have indicated they won’t vote to end the filibuster — meaning that, for the moment, Sen. McConnell’s trump card is safe.

What does the future hold for the filibuster?

Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5

Kathryn Fink
Kathryn Fink is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.

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