We Forgot This Senator Supports the Filibuster, Throwing a Wrench Into Dems' Future Plans

Sen. Angus King (I-ME) could become the Democratic base’s next public enemy number one, though that would require the Senate to flip. We all know the Democrats want to nuke the filibuster. They will do it once they regain the majority, which is why Republicans need to stop being morons, ditch institutional deference, abolish this procedure, and pass the SAVE America Act along with a host of other action items. 

But when the GOP finally screws the pooch and loses the Senate, the Democrats might need a buffer to ensure they can nuke the filibuster, because Mr. King is a solid ‘no’ vote. He was for it, but no longer. How and why he came to this position is irrelevant. The point is King could be the next Joe Manchin on this front, and an old Washington Post article reminded us of that:

Senate Democrats tried to change the rules to adopt a talking filibuster in 2022 to pass their voting bill but came up two votes short when then-Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona) and Joe Manchin III (D-West Virginia) joined with Republicans to block them.

One potential obstacle to any future effort by Democrats to move to a talking filibuster: Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats. King supported Democrats’ push to change the rules in 2022, but he said recently that he had changed his mind, and praised Sinema and Manchin.

“They were right, and I was wrong,” King said in an interview in his office.

Republicans’ unsuccessful recent push to use a talking filibuster to pass their voting bill, the Save America Act, demonstrated the perils of changing the rules, King said.

Okay, there’s a hurdle for Democrats to deal with. Fine. But Republicans should still nuke the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act. Enough already. It’s going to happen. Angus King won’t be able to hold the tide here, but it does throw a wrench in the Democrats’ plan. 

If Democrats are looking to nuke the Senate filibuster in 2029, they might need to win 51 Senate seats instead of 50.

Senator Angus King (I-ME) recently told the Washington Post he supports keeping the Senate filibuster after voting for a rules change to weaken it in 2022.

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