The magnitude of the economic proposals that President Joe Biden may pass through Congress this year is drawing legitimate comparisons to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society. But Biden simultaneously faces the prospect that almost all of his legislative initiatives revolving around social, cultural and […] Read more »
American Rescue Plan, Vaccines & the Filibuster
Within the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency, he’s already signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package as the vaccine roll-out is accelerating. Meanwhile, the Democrats wrestle with advancing their priorities in the Senate, as Republicans continue to filibuster. There’s even talk of eliminating the filibuster, which could obstruct […] Read more »
The Senate’s coming crisis over majority rule
The early lines of division between the parties during Joe Biden’s presidency point toward rising confrontation, sooner rather than later, over rules and traditions in the Senate that empower the minority party to block the majority. The quick turn by Biden and congressional Democrats toward reliance on the special “reconciliation” […] Read more »
The Biggest Decision Democrats Face
No decision facing Democrats over the next two years will shape the long-term political competition between the parties more than whether they end the Senate filibuster to pass their agenda to reform elections and expand access to the vote. The party’s immediate political fate in the 2022 and 2024 elections […] Read more »
This is why Congress remains deadlocked on climate and guns
There’s a political dynamic that virtually guarantees Congress will remain locked in a contentious stalemate over gun violence like the weekend’s mass shooting in Texas and the risk of climate change embodied in the ferocious Hurricane Dorian menacing the Southeast United States. Both issues highlight the effective veto over legislation […] Read more »
Abolishing the Filibuster Is Unavoidable for Democrats
Even if Democrats regain unified control of the White House and Congress in 2020, the fate of their ambitious legislative agenda will still likely hinge on a fundamental question: Do they try to end the Senate filibuster? If the party chooses to keep the filibuster, it faces a daunting prospect: […] Read more »