Senate Republicans May Nuke the Filibuster
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today announced his intention to override the Senate Parliamentarian to pass three controversial Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions of disapproval this week, all of which target Clean Air Act emissions waivers issued to the state of California and impact 11 other states plus the District of Columbia. Katie Tracy, senior regulatory policy advocate for Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Instead of principled, responsible decision-making, Senate Republicans are considering blowing up legislative norms, undermining the filibuster, and subverting their chamber’s referee, the Parliamentarian.
“Many of the same Republicans who support this maneuver vowed never to, lest the Senate become more like the House. But what they are doing is far worse than that. They are acting just like President Trump, blowing up an institution to score a minor political victory.
“If the majority had sufficient support for striking the Clean Air Act waivers, they could easily do so through the normal legislative process. But Senator Thune and some other Senate Republicans are considering taking a sledgehammer to that process at the behest of their corporate donors. There is no benefit to average Americans here – this is a handout to big polluters.
“Overruling the Parliamentarian is a Pandora’s Box that opens the door to ignoring clear laws and the Senate’s own rules any time it’s politically expedient. Senate Republicans need to come to their senses before there’s no going back.”