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.

  • ilinamorato@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    58 minutes ago

    How is what they said wrong? Even if you disagree that you suffer from it, it’s absolutely American exceptionalism to say that only an undemocratic and arcane rule that only the US Senate has is somehow required for democracy.

    • credo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      42 minutes ago

      Never said it was required. You suffer from inability to read. I also already explained how you were wrong, in clear language, at least in one of the many ways.