THEN YOU’RE RIGHT THE STRESSES
ON AMERICAN DEMOCRACY ARE NOT
GOING TO DISAPPEAR.
THEY WILL INCREASE.
.
>> SO THERE ARE PROGRESSIVES,
MANY IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE
WHO SAY, LOOK, MR. PRESIDENT,
REPUBLICANS ARE NEVER GOING TO
VOTE FOR THIS.
IT IS A FACT OF LIFE.
PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI WAS
ASKED ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY.
>> THE PRESIDENT’S PREFERENCE IS
NOT TO GET RID OF THE
FILIBUSTER.
LOOK WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
ACCOMPLISH IN THE LAST SIX
WEEKS.
HE’S ON THE VERGE OF PASSING A
HISTORIC RELIEF BILL THAT WILL
CREATE JOBS.
HE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON
A BIPARTISAN BASIS.
WE BELIEVE THERE ARE
OPPORTUNITIES TO DO EXACTLY
THAT.
>> MR. PRESIDENT, CAN YOU PASS
VOTING RIGHTS WITH THE
FILIBUSTER IN ITS CURRENT FORM,
DO YOU THINK?
.
>> I CAN’T TALK TO YOU ABOUT
THAT.
>> THIS PROCESS WE ARE LIVING
THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS EVIDENCE
THAT YOU SHOULD GET RID OF THE
FILIBUSTER.
IF YOU CAN’T GET REPUBLICANS TO
WORK WITH YOU ON A BILL THAT
GIVES MONEY TO THEIR OWN
CONSTITUENTS THAT HELPS THEM GET
OUT UNDER THE RESTRICTIONS OF
COVID AND ALL THE ECONOMIC
CRISIS THAT HAVE FLOWED FROM IT,
THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO WORK
WITH YOU.
YOU MIGHT AS WELL PLOW THROUGH
AND GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
IS THERE ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR
THAT?
.
>> WELL, IT DOESN’T SEEM THAT
THERE IS.
JOE MANCHIN, KYRSTEN SINEMA,
PROBABLY DIANNE FEINSTEIN, SOME
OTHER DEMOCRATS IN THE SENATE
ARE NOT WILLING TO JUST GET RID
OF THE FILIBUSTER.
SO THAT SEEMS TO BE -- TAKING
THAT FINAL STEP SEEMS TO BE
BEYOND THE PALE OF POSSIBILITY
AT THIS POINT.
HOWEVER, I THINK THERE MORE
EASILY COULD BE REFORM OF THE
FILIBUSTER, CHANGE OF THE
FILIBUSTER TO MAKE, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE MINORITY THAT WANTS A
FILIBUSTER THE BILL ACTUALLY
FILIBUSTER THE BILL.
ACTUALLY STAND UP THERE AND TALK FOR THEORETICALLY FOREVER UNTIL
FOR THEORETICALLY FOREVER UNTIL
THE MAJORITY GIVES UP.
THERE ARE WAYS TO FLIP THE FILIBUSTER SPREAD OF REQUIRING
FILIBUSTER SPREAD OF REQUIRING
60 SENATORS BE THERE TO VOTE TO
END DEBATE AND VOTE ON A BILL
REQUIRE THAT 41 SENATORS BE
THERE TO VOTE TO CONTINUE DEBATE
AND PUT THE ONUS ON THOSE
FILIBUSTERING RATHER THAN THOSE
BEING FILIBUSTERED.
THAT’S AN INTERMEDIATE STEP, BUT
I THINK YOU COULD GET THE
MAJORITY TO GO.
AND YOU MIGHT, SOME OF THESE
IDEAS I HEARD FROM OREN STEIN,
WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE SENATE FOR
A LONG TIME.
BUT SOME OF THESE IDEAS COULD
CHANGE THINGS BY JUST RAISING
THE COST OF FILIBUSTERING A
BILL.
RIGHT NOW IT’S JUST SIMPLE.
WE HAVE 41 VOTES.
WE DON’T HAVE TO PROVE IT.
WE DON’T HAVE TO TALK.
WE JUST STOP THE BILL.
.
>> THE COLUMN IN THE "POST" WAS
POSITIVE.
IT’S A GOOD WAY FORWARD.
IT’S A GOOD FIRST STEP WHERE YOU
MAKE PEOPLE WHO WANT A
FILIBUSTER, YOU MAKE THEM STAND
UP, DO THEIR MR. SMITH GOES TO
WASHINGTON ROUTINE AND KEEP THEM
TALKING UNTIL THEY CAN’T TALK
ANYMORE.
THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT THE
FILIBUSTER IS SACK ROW SAPBGT
AND GOES BACK TO AMERICA’S
FOUNDING IS JUST ABSOLUTELY
RIDICULOUS.
IT’S NOT.
SO THEY CERTAINLY CAN REFORM IT
IF JOE MANCHIN DOESN’T WANT TO
DO AWAY WITH IT.
I HAVE LONG HAD CONCERNS ABOUT
DOING AWAY WITH THE FILIBUSTER.
I DON’T WANT THE SENATE TO BE A