Vox has laid out some interesting and hopeful facts about the filibuster. If these rules

[Maraya1969]

were brought up and votes were taken Manchin and Senema would have to explain why they voted, "No" to some or all of them.


Make it easier to break a filibuster:

Reduce the threshold: It has been reduced from 2/3 to 60 votes. There is no reason it can't be reduced more, even to 51 votes like they did with nominations.

Require “talking” filibusters

Reverse the presumption in favor of filibusters: This presumption in favor of a filibuster could be flipped. Instead of requiring 60 affirmative votes to break a filibuster, the Senate could require the minority to produce 41 votes in order to maintain a filibuster. Thus, the burden would fall on obstructionists to ensure that they had enough senators present to block legislation.

Reduce or eliminate the time needed to invoke cloture

Eliminate all post-cloture debate on nominees

Streamline the process of invoking cloture
The Senate could also reduce or eliminate the time between when a cloture petition is filed and when the Senate can actually hold a vote to invoke cloture

More explanation of these suggestion can be found here:
https://www.vox.com/22260164/filibuster-senate-fix-reform-joe-manchin-kyrsten-sinema-cloture-mitch-mcconnell

[NurseJackie]

1. Thank you for sharing this!

Very interesting.

[Lonestarblue]

2. I think the problem is that changes to Senate rules require 60 votes.

That will not happen with these Republicans. The nuclear option requires a majority, but Manchin and Sinema will not go for that. Democrats will just have to outsmart Republicans and Senator Van Hollen did after the reading of the bill.

[Maraya1969]

5. I was trying to figure that out. Because I bet they can do something to change that too.

Someone in that group of smart people can find a way to change the rules with a simple majority.

Didn't Mcconnell change the rules about approving judges without a 60 votes threshold?.

There is a photo with a list of changes and I don't think that the changes put in by GQP was done with a super majority because I don't believe they have had one in a long time.

[Maraya1969]

7. I can't pot the picture of the rules changes here but one was made just in 2019

2017, 2013, 2012, 1011 I don't think there was a super majority then.

In fact I don't know when there was a super majority except maybe the first 2 years of the Obama administration.

[femmedem]

9. According to the article, it just takes a simple majority to change Senate rules.

From the OP's link: The Senate may effectively change its rules whenever it wants by a simple majority vote, using the same process that Congress used in 2013 and 2017 to allow presidential nominees to be confirmed with only 51 votes. (Technically, when the Senate uses this process, which is colorfully known as the “nuclear option,” it merely reinterprets an existing rule, but the effect is the same as a rule change.) So if the Senate’s narrow Democratic majority wishes to weaken the filibuster, it has the votes to do so.

Very good news!

[flying_wahini]

3. I really like that 41 vote flip part. That would help a lot.

[Escurumbele]

4. "Manchin and Senema would have to explain"...that would be true if they had any shame

But, they don't care, they have no shame, and I am beginning to think they also fall short in the principles department.

[Maraya1969]

6. Well then it will be on the record and a good thing for the primary opponents next time.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. The Senate is a screwed-up mess and needs some work.