Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is challenging Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to be the next Senate majority leader, said Friday he wants to abolish the filibuster and ruled out a potential presidential run in 2028.
Van Hollen, speaking to reporters at the What’s Next conference in Denver, argued that legislation should pass the Senate with simple-majority votes and that the filibuster, which requires senators to muster 60 votes to pass most legislation, is “undemocratic.”
“My personal opinion is that we need democracy in the United States Senate and that means allowing ultimately a majority of senators to answer the call of the American people, so that means 51 votes,” Van Hollen said.
“My personal view has been all along that the filibuster is an antidemocratic — small ‘d’ — provision. It’s not in our Constitution. It was put in there by senators to enhance their power over the power of the people,” he added.
It is not possible to turn a conservative heart. There is simply no heart there to turn. Conservatives are biologically unable to experience empathy, no matter how much empathy you show them.
I would say it’s more about inspiring hope in the next generations living in conservative states and conservatives areas. Older conservatives might just give up on their elected officials entirely if Democrats do good work, not that they actually believe in Democrats but they see the contrast in their wallet or quality of life.