Politics

Kamala Harris Would Eliminate Senate Filibuster To Pass Green New Deal

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California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris said she would work to scrap the Senate filibuster as president if Republicans refuse to work with Democrats to pass the Green New Deal.

The Democratic 2020 presidential candidate made the comments during a CNN town hall Wednesday evening, stating that in the event she won the presidency and Senate Republicans refused to work with Democrats to pass the legislation, eliminating the 60 vote requirement for ending Senate debate would be an avenue to pursue.

“If [Republicans] fail to act, as president of the United States, I am prepared to get rid of the filibuster to pass a Green New Deal,” she said to audience applause.

Calling the fight for the Green New Deal one “against powerful interests,” Harris said Congressional Republicans should “look in the mirror and ask themselves why  they failed to act.”

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Democrats would need to win Senate control along with the presidency to have any hope of ending the longstanding tradition. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did end the filibuster as a measure to stall Supreme Court nominees, the Kentucky senator has spoken out strongly in favor of maintaining the tradition when passing legislation, despite the stated wishes of President Trump. (RELATED: Congressman To McConnell: End The Filibuster And Save Babies — Or Find A New Job)

“There’s not a single senator in the majority who thinks we ought to change the legislative filibuster,” McConnell said 2017.