Today, Vice President Harris made an announcement that she would support eliminating the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade:
“I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe [v. Wade], and get us back to the point where 51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom.”
Senate Majority Leader Schumer also expressed that eliminating the filibuster is a topic for discussion within the caucus in the next session of Congress. This implies that Democrats may eliminate the filibuster if they gain control of the White House and both houses of Congress.
I agree with the Wall Street Journal that once the filibuster is eliminated for abortion, it may lead to its elimination for all other legislation.
She’s framing this procedural change as only relevant to implementing a national abortion law across all 50 states. However, it is evident that this could have broader implications. Once the 60-vote filibuster rule is removed for one non-budget legislation, it could pave the way for its removal for all legislation.
Chuck Schumer has expressed interest in abolishing the filibuster to pass a national abortion law and introduce California-style voting regulations nationwide. This could mean saying goodbye to voter identification requirements and welcoming nationwide ballot harvesting.
It doesn’t end there. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has also voiced support for breaking the filibuster to restructure the Supreme Court, while Senator Bernie Sanders now favors a 51-vote threshold for passing his proposals, abandoning his previous objections.
Various interest groups within the Democratic coalition are likely to push for their priorities to pass with 51 votes as well. This could include granting statehood to the District of Columbia and enacting Big Labor’s PRO Act, which aims to ban right-to-work laws nationwide, among other initiatives that typically require bipartisan support in the Senate.
This scenario is not far-fetched. Jeff Toobin outlined a similar roadmap in 2020.
With D.C. achieving statehood, it could become increasingly challenging for Republicans to secure a Senate majority and nearly impossible to confirm judges nominated by Republicans. If the lower courts and Supreme Court are expanded, there may be no judicial oversight on decisions supported by a simple majority of Democrats. Within a short period, our country could undergo significant transformation. Just look at the recent events in Mexico if you doubt the possibility of rapid change.
This blog is run by a non-profit organization, so I refrain from endorsing any political views. Instead, I urge individuals who lean towards the right to carefully consider which candidate poses a greater threat to their values. Some former never-Trumpers have even shifted to reluctantly supporting Trump. You are not alone.
