On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) responded to questions on Democrats using the filibuster to block legislation to prevent a government shutdown by stating that “The filibuster has been used to block civil rights legislation for decades.”
Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “[O]ne move we did see, as the leaders have been trying to kind of avert this, was, the House had narrowly approved a bill funding the government, keeping it basically at current funding levels through November 21, last week, just narrowly, the Senate didn’t have the 60 votes, though, to get that through. Had there been no filibuster, which is something that you have advocated for, that wouldn’t have happened, does it change your view on whether or not the filibuster should exist?”
Casar responded, “The filibuster has been used to block civil rights legislation for decades. The filibuster is the reason that you have this radical gerrymandering happening all across the country. I believe that we need to pass positive legislation that helps everyday people, and, certainly, we need to reform, carve out, or abolish the filibuster to get it done. And, look, what Republicans are trying to jam down people’s throats, I do not think will hold up in the court of public opinion when people realize that they’re trying to take…people off their health care entirely. And so, in my view, we should have a country where the majority is able to govern. And, in my view, right now, even though Republicans have the majority, they are in shambles. They’re not able to govern. And it’s up to Democrats to hold them accountable.”
Collins then cut in to ask, “You’ve likened the filibuster, Congressman, to saying it’s of the Jim Crow era. Obviously, that’s something President Biden himself agreed with you on at one point. But you’re saying that even despite the fact that it prevented them from passing that last week, it doesn’t change your view on that you believe the filibuster — that you should get rid of it as Congress?”
Casr answered, “I do not support the filibuster, and I believe, frankly, I believe, frankly, Kaitlan, that I don’t think we would have a Republican majority today and I don’t think we’d have Donald Trump in office today if we had abolished the filibuster and passed laws to drive down the cost of child care, raise the minimum wage, pull millions of seniors out of poverty by passing Social Security expansion. I think if we had abolished the filibuster and really gotten things done for hundreds of millions of Americans when we had Joe Biden in the White House, I don’t think we would have this unhinged Republican majority or Donald Trump in the White House today.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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