The Washington Post ^ | 11/23/2025 6: 00 a. m. EST | Scott Bessent, U. S. Treasury Secretary. Posted on by E. Pluribus Unum The American people are just now emerging from the longest and most devastating government shutdown in U. S. history. And while the blame lies squarely with Senate Democrats, we cannot ignore the weapon they used to hold the country hostage: the legislative filibuster. In January, when spending considerations again come due, if Democrats once again choose to shut down the government, then Republicans should immediately end the filibuster. By wielding the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote Senate supermajority to pass legislation, Democrats inflicted tremendous harm on the nation, including: $11 billion in permanent economic damage; an estimated 1. 5 percentage points in lost GDP growth in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025; 9, 500 canceled flights; and the paychecks of 1. 4 million federal workers held for ransom by the left’s demands. For generations, the filibuster has been romanticized as the Senate’s guardian of deliberation. In reality, it is a historical accident that has evolved into a standing veto for the minority and a license for paralysis. What once seemed like a dignified brake on hasty lawmaking now blocks even routine governance. It’s time for Republicans to acknowledge that the filibuster no longer serves the country and to be prepared to end it. The filibuster is not in the Constitution. The Framers envisioned debate, but they expected majority rule. The modern filibuster traces back to 1806, when the Senate, on the advice of then-former vice president Aaron Burr, deleted the “previous question” motion from its rulebook. That deletion wasn’t a philosophical embrace of unlimited debate; it was a housekeeping measure that inadvertently removed the chamber’s mechanism for cutting off debate by majority vote. Only later did senators discover they could exploit the gap to delay or block action. (Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost. com . TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections KEYWORDS: Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC PO Box 9771 Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. Grok Summary The U. S. just endured the longest, most damaging government shutdown in history, caused by Senate Democrats using the legislative filibuster to block funding unless their demands were met. The shutdown cost $11 billion permanently, shaved ~1. 5% off Q4 2025 GDP growth, canceled 9, 500 flights, and left 1. 4 million federal workers unpaid. Bessent argues the filibuster is not in the Constitution, is a historical accident (created in 1806 when the Senate accidentally removed the simple mechanism to end debate), and has become a minority veto that paralyzes routine governance. Both parties have already eliminated it for judicial and executive nominations (Democrats in 2013, Republicans in 2017) without the Republic collapsing. He urges Republicans to end the legislative filibuster entirely if Democrats force another shutdown in January 2026 when the next spending deadline hits. Key points: The filibuster no longer forces compromise; it enables total obstruction. Democrats have called it a “Jim Crow relic” and will kill it the moment they regain power anyway. Retaining it unilaterally is naive “prisoner’s dilemma” thinking; Republicans are disarming themselves while Democrats won’t. A credible threat to abolish it may actually preserve it longer by forcing Democrats to negotiate. Bottom line: If Democrats shut the government down again on Jan. 30, Republicans must immediately eliminate the filibuster, restore majority rule, and govern. A “procedural fossil” should not be allowed to hold the country hostage. 1 posted on by E. Pluribus Unum Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by.
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