New Majority Leader Thune kicks off Senate session with pledge to preserve filibuster

[Polybius]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — New Senate Majority Leader John Thune is kicking off the new session with a promise to preserve the filibuster, saying in his first floor speech as leader that his priority will be to “ensure the Senate stays the Senate.”

Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Republicans are taking power on Friday a little more than two weeks before Donald Trump will be inaugurated, cementing a firm GOP hold on Washington. And Thune will have to navigate his new responsibilities along with the new president, who has made clear he expects allegiance from Congress – and has previously called for eliminating the filibuster.

Opening up the two-year Senate session Friday after new and returning senators were sworn in, Thune said the legislative tactic that allows senators to delay consideration of a measure and require 60 votes for passage has “perhaps the greatest impact in preserving the Founders’ vision of the Senate.”

“There are a lot of people out there who would like to see the Senate turn into a copy of the House of Representatives,” Thune said. “And that is not what our founders intended or what our country needs.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/senate-thune-republicans-filibuster-trump-a520b71c6f071d5aa74d38105d6b7088

[Faux pas]

1. Yeah Sure Yeah Betcha

[GB_RN]

8. Exactly.

They’ll hold on to the filibuster as long as it remains convenient. For them. As soon as the Democrats filibuster one of their “priorities” that the “American people” (actually never) “voted for,” then the filibuster is gone. The filibuster is a dead man walking, long since on overly-borrowed time.

[Faux pas]

11. Yep

We had a chance and didn't take it.

[GreenWave]

2. My fellow Americans, and by fellow Americans, I mean...

Read out the names of every individual, all 300,000,000 plus... each one three seconds equals 10,500,000 per year... might take an entire lifetime. What a filibuster!

[Fiendish Thingy]

3. The cabinet confirmation hearing should be fun

And if Thune keeps his word, and none of Trump’s kooks get confirmed due to being filibustered, then we will see how the senate reacts if Trump tries to force adjournment for recess appointments.

[Igel]

4. I'm pretty sure that when the filibuster was voided

except for SCOTUS justices that applied to all non-SCOTUS nominees.

That includes cabinet-level nominees as well as people far lower on the totem pole.

(R) came along later and removed the SCOTUS exemption to making taking up approval of nominations debatable.

[Fiendish Thingy]

7. Still gonna be fun to watch. Nt

[Polybius]

13. That's not true at all

A few will have bipartisan support. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, for example (for Labor secretary), deserves it. She's one of most pro-union Republicans to recently serve in Congress. Rubio will also get at least 85 votes.

[Miguelito Loveless]

5. Some how, I doubt this

And if they are serious, 45 will just ignore the senate and appoint them anyway. The SCOTUS will say "That's fine." And if they don't, he will ignore the SCOTUS.

[HereForTheParty]

6. This is big

It really dampens their already questionable ability to get things passed.

[mdbl]

9. The filibuster only works when it serves the GOP interest

otherwise, they'll cancel it. With Dump and his SCROTUS, the legislative body has been neutered.

[Marthe48]

10. I believe that

like I believe anything out of a rwnj mouth

You can bet if he says the filibuster is safe, it'll be out the door in a heartbeat

[The Wizard]

12. Republicans lie all the time

It's in their DNA.