If Democrats ever get the chance, they should do away with the filibuster to pass an abortion rights bill

[In It to Win It]

or several abortion rights bills. Pass another bill that authorizes members of the public to sue anyone in federal court who prevents a lawful abortion for a minimum of $10,000 in statutory damages per lawful abortion, plus court costs and attorneys' fees.

While I get the concern that one day Republicans will win power and they will do the same thing, I think that's fine. I don't think their agenda is all that popular. I think they will find out just how much Americans don't want their social security and medicare cuts.

The filibuster has done nothing but give Republicans an excuse not to do all the terrible unpopular shit that they've promised. When they promised to ban abortion, their excuse was the filibuster stops them from doing that. I've been convinced for a really long time that the filibuster has done nothing but serve as cover for their worst shit. It's allowed to run on "entitlement cuts" to lower the deficit and debt and making it sound good, and then going back to their states and saying "we couldn't get past the filibuster." Then, the public thinks "well, I voted for him/her and my social security wasn't cut so let's vote for him/her again." It's allowed them to campaign on their bullshit, and be safe from public backlash and scrutiny because the public will never feel those consequences because that insane piece of legislation with the bad shit was blocked by the filibuster. Let Republicans feel the heat for their bad policy.

The mildest legislation they could pass with a simple majority is a tax cut. The public protested Trump's tax cut in 2017. The filibuster and their own infighting stopped them from doing anything worse than that. Let them touch the stove. Let them see how much it burns.

Let Democrats pass abortion rights bills and them run on taking away everyone's abortion rights (again). Let Democrats pass a voting rights bill, and let Republicans run on repealing it. Let Democrats pass a bill increasing the federal minimum wage, and let Republicans run on repealing it. Let them run on cutting Medicare and Social Security.

[Wanderlust988]

1. You need to repost this in 4 years

If you haven't noticed, we don't control shit in DC.

[In It to Win It]

2. I've noticed... hence the "if Dems get ever get the chance"

[RockRaven]

3. If they were to do so, they would also have to use the nuked filibuster to

expand SCOTUS by enough seats, and then fill them, to make sure that bill/law would be ruled Constitutional in the inevitable court challenge. Otherwise it would be a waste of time, and a demonstration of incompetence and/or impotence.

[kelly1mm]

4. Should Republicans, given the chance, end the filibuster to enact their preferred abortion rules?

I would assume you would say no. How about we don't end the filibuster at all? I have been beating this drum for years here on DU, with much pushback, that the real benefit of the filibuster is that it prevents WILD swings in policy from administration to administration.

Now (amazingly!) elimination of the filibuster (you know, that undemocratic relic of slavery) does not seem to be a top D priority. I wonder why ......

[In It to Win It]

5. My answer is yes. Let them.

If they win a majority, let them enact their rules. Let's see if the politics are in their favor.

[kelly1mm]

6. At least you are intellectually consistent! I can respect that! nt

[In It to Win It]

7. Well, I'm betting that if the public got to feel their policies

like actually feel rather than just letting them campaign on it and have an excuse with not doing it, they wouldn't like it.

I'm a true believer in the phrase "if they vote for it, let them have it"... and let them have it all. Let the filibuster not be an excuse to stop every single thing they campaigned on doing. The filibuster (Democrats using the filibuster) is their last remaining excuse for not exacting all the things the public hates. On the flip side, the filibuster should stop being an excuse for us. When we win, I'd like us to actually be able to use our power.

For example, one of the very few things they can do without the filibuster is a tax cut. If you recall, Trump's tax cuts were not popular. People actually got out and protested against the tax cut. Then they got wacked in the midterms. I want them to feel that political pressure about everything they campaign on, and not go home saying "the filibuster blah blah blah we tried but Democrats stopped us."

[kelly1mm]

8. I prefer a system that does not allow wild swings

After every presidential election in US policy. Yes this means that progress is slowed down but also does not allow reactionary forces to do the same.

[J_William_Ryan]

9. "I don't think their agenda is all that popular."

It doesn’t need to be.

We’re in the age of the tyranny of Republican minority rule.

Absent the filibuster, Republicans would enact a Federal abortion ban.

[In It to Win It]

10. Let them. Let them face the public for their choice of enacting a national ban

When they win full control of Congress, they don’t really do much. They pass a tax cuts because the only thing they can all agree on. I’d like to let people see the actual effects of their policy, and let them learn exactly why it sucks. We take that as educational moment to explain this is why you don’t want them in power. Maybe I have too much confident in people.

When we win power, we can repeal it.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. We didn't repeal the

Jobs and Tax cut scam of 2017 when we had the chance. It was SUPPOSED to sunset in 2025.

Now the SALT Cap they implemented in 2017?

They are going to pretend it is a NEW tax cut, instead of an expiration. The left will scream, the right will pat themselves on the back.

Dear Fellow Democratic Party Members:

Don't you fall for it. If you live someplace like Arkansas or North Dakota - that does NOT fully fund their schools at the municipality or state level - $113K a year looks like a HUGE amount of money for a family of four.

It is NOT. That's the salary of Borough Public Works employee and his wife in my borough. She works in day care. Saved ten years to buy their home. Property taxes at just over 8K (I voted on a budget that gave a property tax credit to our Seniors and Working Class). Their State Income tax? They no loner get to claim that full amount. They pay taxes twice.

Flip it - you could look at it as they pay property taxes twice. Once to fund their local public school (we send 89% to the district) and once to fund public schools in places where they are buying Trump Bibles.

From the implementation of the modern Federal Tax - those municipalities, counties, and states that chose Home Rule were able to to assure their citizens that they wouldn't have to give that money to DC.

In 2017 - the GOP ripped Home Rule away from those places that don't want the Magat Party's boots on our necks.

It won't be a tax cut - it will be putting it back where it was for almost 100 years. Don't you fall for it being a tax cut for the *rich*.