(RepublicanInformer.com)- Democrats are pushing hard to either completely eliminate the Senate filibuster rule or alter it enough to allow them to pass new voting rights legislation.
This week, another prominent Republican issued a warning of just how detrimental doing so would be to the Democratic Party — and potentially in the very near future.
Utah Senator Mitt Romney said there would be very real consequences if the filibuster rule was changed. It’s quite possible that Republicans will regain control of both chambers of Congress following the midterm elections later this year. And, in 2024, it’s possible that a Republican could defeat President Joe Biden — or another Democratic candidate — to retake control of the White House.
On Tuesday, Romney said there’s a “reasonable chance Republicans will win both houses in Congress, and that Donald Trump himself could once again be elected president in 2024.”
Then, he explained what that would mean if Democrats were to change the Senate’s filibuster rule now:
“Have Democrats thought what it would mean for them — for the Democrat minority — to have no power whatsoever? The United States Senate is one of our vital democratic institutions, and the power given to the minority in the Senate and the resulting requirement for political consensus are among the Senate’s defining features.”
He also pointed out a very insightful fact — that the Senate is the only federal government institution in which the minority has some power. In the House, only a simple majority is needed to pass bills. Same goes for the Supreme Court, where major rulings that have enormous effects on everyday life in America need just a simple majority.
It’s in the Senate, as Romney points out, where the minority can exert some power and influence — but only because of the current filibuster rule.
Democrats have been naturally frustrated that they haven’t been able to pass legislation that deals with voting rights. Under current Senate rules, they’d need to get the support of 60 senators to pass a bill. In other words, they have to get at least a little bipartisan buy-in, rather than just pushing through unilateral action.
Since Democrats have been unable to secure the support of even one Republican in the Senate — let alone 10 — they haven’t been able to make any progress.
That’s the reason why President Joe Biden said earlier this week that he’d support the Senate changing the rules so the Democrats can do whatever they want in regard to voting rights. Even Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that if the voting rights bills he puts up for a vote in the near future don’t pass, he’ll introduce a vote that would change the fundamental rules of the Senate.
It’s a sore loser approach, for sure, and one that Romney said he believes Democrats could come to regret if they go through with it. As he explained:
“President Biden goes down the same tragic road taken by President Trump — casting doubt on the reliability of American elections. This is a sad, sad day. I expected more of President Biden, who came into office with the stated goal of bringing the country together.”
