Timeline for Even if Democrats have control of the Senate, won't new legislation just be blocked with a filibuster?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
8 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jan 9, 2021 at 0:56 | comment | added | reirab | @mhdadk The vast majority of bills that are passed aren't necessary for the government to function and are successfully voted on without a filibuster. Filibuster is normally only used on particularly contentious bills or appointments (although admittedly a lot of abnormal things have happened as of late with both sides employing increasingly petty and dangerous power-grab maneuvers.) | |
| Jan 8, 2021 at 12:10 | comment | added | Will | @mhdadk you can search the Senate website for votes on bills. There certainly aren't many. But, for instance, it appears that in 2020, the USA FREEDOM Reauthorization Act (H.R.6172) passed 80-16, the CARES Act (H.R.748) passed 96-0, and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (H.R.5430) passed 89-10. Maybe there are some operational riders in some of these bills but none of their central purposes seem to be necessary for government to function. | |
| Jan 7, 2021 at 12:26 | comment | added | David Hammen | I like this answer, and I upvoted it for the last paragraph. Senator McConnell is now looking for volunteers to relinquish some of their committee assignments. | |
| Jan 6, 2021 at 20:54 | comment | added | Joe | @mhdadk The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ["Trump Tax Cuts"] was not able to be filibustered, among other things (passed 51-48). | |
| Jan 6, 2021 at 18:20 | comment | added | phoog | @mhdadk filibuster is by far the exception, not the rule. The Wikipedia article gives a good overview, but it's not at all unusual for a bill to pass with fewer than 60 votes in favor. | |
| Jan 6, 2021 at 18:08 | comment | added | jamesqf | @mhdadk: Going back a few decades, but how about the declaration of war against Japan after Pearl Harbor. Passed the Senate unanimously. Or more recently, the first pandemic relief bill passed this past March: nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/senate-coronavirus-stimulus-bill.html | |
| Jan 6, 2021 at 17:37 | comment | added | mhdadk | Could you provide examples of bills that are not required by the government to function and were successfully voted on without a filibuster? | |
| Jan 6, 2021 at 17:32 | history | answered | phoog | CC BY-SA 4.0 |