Dem
47
GOP
53
This is a development that seems like an "it was only a matter of time" kind of thing. In any case, Senate Democrats have been using one of the few actual tools they have at their disposal, and have been slowing down the process by which Donald Trump appointees are confirmed. Senate Republicans have gotten tired of that and, after some negotiating and some bickering, decided to go nuclear. And so, once the GOP senators finish dotting the i's and crossing the t's, they will be able to approve lower-than-Cabinet-secretary-level appointees in groups of 10, with a simple majority vote. So, if they want to bundle nine basically acceptable nominees, along with Jack the Ripper, they can probably squeeze Jack through.
The reason we write it was only a matter of time is that it was the Democrats (well, technically, the Democratic-Farmer-Laborers, since it was Amy Klobuchar) who first proposed this idea, back when they were in the majority and were frustrated by Republican foot-dragging. Once you put a threat like that out there, it's usually only a matter of time until one side or the other makes a move, since it's far better to be "first" than "second."
This will be something like carve-out #161 for the filibuster. Hasn't the time arrived for a radical change? We often lean towards the notion that the filibuster should go entirely. First, because the Founding Parents knew what things were important enough to subject to a supermajority vote, and they very pointedly did not put "absolutely everything" on the list. The filibuster clearly runs contrary to their intent. Second, because a party should be able to implement its political program, so it can be evaluated by voters at the next election.
The alternative, of course, is to keep the filibuster, but to go to the old-style actual filibuster, where a member has to stand there and actually filibuster, equipped with food, bottles of water, and possibly a catheter. The obvious benefit there is that when the minority really feels strongly, they can take action, as opposed to the current situation, where the minority basically interferes with everything, since that's the only "governance" they get to do.
Whatever it is, something has to change. Under current circumstances, the Senate spends copious amounts of time on everything, and yet gets very little done, particularly as regards passing actual legislation. And because nature abhors a vacuum, other elements of the government step into that void, with the presidents (especially Donald Trump) being particularly opportunistic. It is entirely fair to say that the Senate filibuster is pushing the U.S. in a direction that is away from democracy and towards dictatorship. C'mon folks, ignore the crusty old traditionalists like Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who has his own personal reasons for preferring that things move at a turtle's pace, and let's get something done, and make the Senate at least semi-functional again. (Z)