Schumer says Dems were justified in using filibuster that some of them now seek to abolish
Fox News
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer argued Thursday that Democrats were justified in filibustering legislation in the GOP-controlled Senate during the last session of Congress – a tactic that some in the party now seek to abolish – because Republicans refused to engage in bipartisan negotiations.
"The big difference is that we were always willing to negotiate in a bipartisan way," Schumer said at a press conference. "Mitch McConnell isn’t. The bills he puts on the floor, even when he calls them bipartisan, aren’t, like the first CARES bill, like the policing bill. There’s no discussion, no discussion." President Biden pledged to work with Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation as part of his call for unity upon entering the White House. However, the Democrat-controlled Senate roiled GOP leadership earlier this year after they utilized special budget reconciliation rules to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan with a simple majority vote. McConnell has warned of a "scorched-earth Senate" if Democrats attempt to end use of the filibuster. In a floor speech earlier this week, the Kentucky senator argued that Democrats used the same tactic to detail a GOP-backed police reform bill following the death of George Floyd last May.More Related News