WASHINGTON: Easing off a stalemate, the Senate moved forward Tuesday with a power-sharing agreement in the evenly-split chamber after Republican leader Mitch McConnell backed off his demand that Senate Democrats preserve the procedural tool known as the filibuster.
The stand-off between McConnell and new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had all but ground the Senate to a halt in the early days of the Democratic majority and threatened President Joe Biden’s agenda. Schumer refused to meet McConnell’s demands.
I’m glad we’re finally able to get the Senate up and running, Schumer said Tuesday as he opened the chamber. My only regret is it took so long because we have a great deal we need to accomplish.
While the crisis appeared to have resolved, for now, the debate over the filibuster the procedural tool that requires a 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation is far from over.
Progressive Democrats see the tool as an outdated relic that can be used by the minority…