Senate filibuster fight throws Democrats’ wish list into limbo
District of Columbia | June 8, 2021
Democrats are facing the threat of a stalled-out agenda on Capitol Hill as divisions within the party spotlight critical limits on what can get through Congress.
Democrats pledged to go “bold” if they won back both the House and Senate, but they’re grappling with dueling dynamics that throw into question what can get passed, even as they come under growing pressure to make good on their campaign promises heading into 2022.
Centrists holding out on nuking the Senate’s legislative filibuster are effectively dooming a laundry list of high-profile priorities, sparking the ire of progressives. Separately, new guidance from the Senate parliamentarian has poked a hole in Democrats’ hope of doing multiple end runs around the 60-vote hurdle this year, giving them limited legislative pathways to getting big bills through the Senate without GOP support.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) acknowledged that many of the items at the top of the base’s policy wish list like raising the minimum wage, voting rights or immigration reform don’t have the support needed to pass under the Senate’s current rules. ..
(Excerpts from the Hill)