Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is urging Democratic lawmakers not to make changes to the filibuster rule.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the Kentucky lawmaker was asked about the possibility of Democrats changing the legislative filibuster rule if Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins and Democrats are also able to win control of the Senate.
McConnell described the possibility of the elimination of the legislative filibuster — a 60-vote threshold — as a mistake.
“The important thing for our Democratic friends to remember is that you may not be in total control in the future, and anytime you start fiddling around with the rules of the Senate, I think you always need to put yourself in the other fellow’s shoes and just imagine what might happen when the wind shifts,” McConnell told the reporters.
See McConnell’s remarks below:
The Republican lawmaker also noted the rarity in filibusters on the executive calendar.
“Even though it was possible on the executive calendar to filibuster nominees, it just wasn’t done until Bush 43 got elected,” he said in reference to former President George W. Bush.
According to McConnell, “responsible Democratic senators” should not allow themselves to be “stampeded by the hard left.” He also offered a word of advice to them.
“If there are any responsible Democratic senators left who aren’t going to be stampeded by the hard left, they ought to take a pause and think about whether they really think it’s a good idea for the country to put the one institution that guarantees that America stayed in the middle of the road into the same place as the House,” he said.
McConnell was also asked if he would consider changing the legislative filibuster if President Donald Trump wins the election and Republicans retain control of the Senate. He made it clear he would not consider changes.
McConnell said, “I consistently said no to the current president on that issue, and he tweeted about me a number of times, which I greatly appreciated.”