Abolish the Filibuster and Govern
The last few weeks in America have been a whirlwind. I don’t need to tell you. It’s made me depressed, which was a new sensation I hadn’t experienced in my 31 years of life. It’s definitely not “sadness”. It’s sadness and malaise, wrapped together. I’m an anxious person and am usually jostling around to different things and putting off sleep. Since the live TV insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th I’ve wanted to do nothing but sleep. Few of my hobbies brought any peace or joy, save stress eating and streaming shows all day. I took the promises of more violence from white supremacists seriously and was very afraid about what could have transpired on Inauguration Day.
January 20th finally came and I woke up early to make sure I could see the transfer of power with my own eyes. I also wanted to make sure I was present if there was a catastrophe, for seeing is believing. Trump left, wafting out of the White House like a wet fart, utterly deflated since his social media ban. The ceremony was kind and traditional, a stark contrast to the surreal display four years ago. I felt better with the transfer of power complete, knowing Trump no longer held the nuclear football and forcing Senate Republicans into the minority. So much effort by so many people made this day possible. Each of you is an American hero.
There is still so much left to do. Nothing was won on January 20th if the new Democratic majority doesn’t wield the power so many struggled so hard for. White supremacy didn’t waft out with Trump, it lingers under our noses. Some of them are your neighbors and co-workers and I’m sure the last four years revealed the true nature of many people you know. They stormed the Capitol and attempted to overthrow the government, undeterred by the police and TV cameras, such is the magnitude of their privilege. That event is a cultural high watermark for them and represents a new “Lost Cause”; a stolen election that exists entirely in their imagination.
They will try and seize power legitimately as well. They are mobilizing and raising money for the midterms. One or both chambers of Congress typically flips in the midterms, which means Democrats have but only 2 years to use the power the people have granted them to govern. And they must govern as their coalition demands. The only hope of staving off losses in 2022 and 2024 requires bold action, enough to keep rank and file Democrats engaged and encouraged. They must keep the wind behind them by abolishing the filibuster in the Senate to ensure Joe Biden can appoint his cabinet, expand Medicare, raise taxes on the wealthy, enact a new voting rights act, combat climate change, and so many other issues that Republicans will gleefully kill with the filibuster. If the public sees Democrats unwilling to govern they will stop fighting for them and give the GOP, now a highly radicalized and extremist political entity, a clear path to control. We cannot abide another Trump, or Trump-like entity running the government.
Abolishing the filibuster isn’t a radical idea. It will return the Senate to how it is supposed to function, by majority rule. If you want to learn more, follow someone like Adam Jentleson on Twitter or read his book for an in depth review. All you need to know is the filibuster is a Jim Crow relic designed to stall civil rights. In addition to being a relic of slavery, it has done nothing but confuse the public. When the Senate is considering a pressing issue facing the Republic and nothing gets done, who is the public supposed to hold accountable? The party in the majority trying to pass laws, or the minority party that can hold up all legislation in the chamber? Eliminating the filibuster will clarify to the public who is doing what which will lead to more electoral accountability for lawmakers.
Republicans do not want to remove the filibuster. It is their primary tool to counteract good-governance initiatives by Democrats. They take advantage of the cluster-fuck it creates and use it to misguide the public. Republicans do not have a governing platform, and have demonstrated that in the last 4 years. What defines the party is opposition to Democrats and “owning the libs.” The filibuster is key to exacting that objective. If it were to be removed, a Republican Senate would have no choice but to pass bills. Or choose not to. Either way, the consequences will rest with the majority, as it should.
Of course you’re asking, “but if Republicans are dangerous do we want to give them access to lawmaking?” Yes, we do. Not only is majority rule necessary for a Democracy to function by definition, it puts Republicans in a position they are not prepared to deal with — actual governance. They would fail spectacularly and publicly without it. Abolishing the filibuster would bind Senators to pass laws, who before could hide behind obstructionism. Likewise, the same would go for Democrats. They could expand Medicare, add D.C. as a state, put the DREAM act into law, and dramatically expand green energy initiatives. And then they run for reelection using the laws they passed as proof of their work. And the public would know Democrats passed those laws, and they could vote accordingly. This is the way.
If obstructionism is allowed to remain in the Senate our government will not be able to face an extraordinarily challenging time. A pandemic, rising white nationalist violence, attempted insurrection, wide-spread lies and conspiracies, foreign interference in our discourse, an increasingly hostile climate, and of course good ol’ corruption. If we want to be a shining city on a hill rather than a pile of rubble, then demand Democrats abolish the filibuster and govern. This isn’t plainly about political strategy, this is about making a better democracy. If that means democrats do better electorally because they can pass popular measures, then so be it. If it costs them seats, then so be it. This is how democracy works. Arcane rules like the filibuster are designed to protect power, not spread it. They are anti-democratic and I want to live in a functioning republic.
The system as it stands now is ripe for another takeover. The public is confused and scared and our leaders are literally unable to take action. They cannot do the things the American public demands of them because a much smaller minority in the chamber has and will crush any initiatives. The real risk associated with republicans passing laws is a risk to them. The public will see their craven attempts to appease their rich donors and stifle civil rights and will be punished for it. We can only anticipate this outcome, however, if the Senate is allowed to try and fail. Currently, it is just a failure.
