For years, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been one of the staunchest opponents within the Democratic caucus to changing filibuster rules. But after the Atlanta shootings, she has finally seen the light.
On Friday she released a statement supporting President Biden’s proposal that the Senate should consider reforming filibuster rules.
Here is her statement:
“There are many significant issues Congress needs to address. Just this week we saw a union of gun violence, violence against women and hate crimes in the tragic shootings in Atlanta.
“I have tried for years to pass legislation in these areas. This month the House passed bills to improve background checks for gun purchases and reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, among other key legislation. Ideally the Senate can reach bipartisan agreement on those issues, as well as on a voting rights bill. But if that proves impossible and Republicans continue to abuse the filibuster by requiring cloture votes, I’m open to changing the way the Senate filibuster rules are used.
“President Biden this week suggested returning to a talking filibuster so opponents of a bill must speak on the Senate floor and explain their opposition. That is an idea worth discussing. I don’t want to turn away from Senate traditions, but I also don’t believe one party should be able to prevent votes on important bills by abusing the filibuster.”
This is a BFD because the 87-year-old Feinstein had been one of the Senate’s leading “traditionalists” who was hesitant to change the Senate’s 60-vote requirement for passing legislation.
Feinstein’s statement came after the shootings in metro Atlanta that killed eight people — including six women of Asian descent. The tragedy apparently had a deep impact on her.
Some Democratic senators support abolishing the filibuster completely and passing legislation by a simple majority vote, But it seems that a consensus is forming in support of returning to a talking filibuster.
In a recent interview with ABC News, President Biden said: “I don’t think you have to eliminate the filibuster; you have to do it what it used to be when I first got to the Senate back in the old days,”
“You had to stand up and command the floor. You had to keep talking.”
Here’s the ABC interview. Biden’s comments on the filibuster come at the 1:50 mark.
All 50 members of the Democratic Senate caucus have to be on board to change Senate rules regarding the filibuster. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has threatened a “scorched earth” policy if the filibuster rules are changed, but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has stood firm.
Moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have been the main holdouts regarding filibuster reform. But Manchin has said that he is open to making it more “painful” for senators to conduct a filibuster, raising the possibility that he might support returning to a talking filibuster.