Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday that his fellow Republicans should change the Senate’s filibuster rules to try and force through a voter ID bill that President Trump has called his “top priority” heading into the fall midterm elections.
“For many years, I believed that if the US Senate scrapped the filibuster, Texas and our nation would stand to lose more than we would gain,” wrote Cornyn (R-Texas), who is set to face Lone Star State Attorney General Ken Paxton in a hotly contested May 26 primary runoff, in an op-ed published by The Post.
“But when the reality on the ground changes, leaders must take stock and adapt.”
Cornyn called for the Senate to adopt “whatever changes … may prove necessary” to pass legislation meant to secure America’s elections and reopen the Department of Homeland Security.
One suggestion the Texan floated was a so-called “talking filibuster,” in which senators are required to physically hold the floor to prevent votes on legislation.
Currently, most bills are blocked from passage if they fail to gain 60 votes under the so-called “cloture rule.” Under the proposed talking filibuster rules, legislation that is subject to the tactic could clear the Senate with just 51 votes once the floor is yielded.
“Today, Democrats are weaponizing the Senate’s rules to block the SAVE America Act, defund the Department of Homeland Security and hurt the American people — all to spite President Donald Trump,” the Republican wrote. “But they say openly that if these same rules ever get in Democrats’ way, they won’t hesitate to rip them up … A rule is only a rule if both sides follow it.
“I believe that Democrats, with their votes and statements, have already dealt the filibuster a fatal blow: The Senate rules will change eventually, whether Republicans like it or not.”
Last week, as rumors swirled that Trump was about to endorse Cornyn in the runoff and ask Paxton to quit the Senate race, the challenger said that he would drop out if the Senate scrapped the filibuster and passed the SAVE America Act, which requires would-be voters in federal elections to present documentary proof of US citizenship when registering to cast ballots.
The bill passed the House last month, but is stalled in the Senate in the face of universal Democratic opposition.
Over the weekend, President Trump threatened not to sign any more bills until the Senate passed the SAVE America Act.
In remarks to House Republicans Monday, the president praised them for passing the “common sense” bill, while saying Democratic leaders opposed it ‘because they know if we get this, they probably won’t win an election for 50 years.”
