Democratic Senator Tina Smith: “I would vote to get rid of the obstruction, line and sinker” | American Politics

But for Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota, the need to change her stance on one of the most crucial issues facing the Biden administration – filibuster rule reform – has grown too strong to ignore. .

She now believes that without reform, filibuster – a rule by which the minority Senate party can block legislation – will do serious “damage” to American democracy, she told the Guardian.

Smith’s decision is crucial. Behind the strong voices of the Senate Democratic caucus calling for a drastic reduction or completely gutting a tool used to obstruct legislation, there is a generally quieter set of senators like Smith who are finally speaking out. They have had enough, these senators say, and want to see a substantial change in filibuster – either workarounds for certain legislative proposals like the right to vote, or changes so that the threat of filibuster does not stop. not Congress.

Senator Angus King of Maine, in a recent editorial, outlined his change on filibuster. Likewise, Smith presented his own rationale for coming on some sort of major change on filibuster. Smith, a former lieutenant governor of Minnesota who came to the Senate via an appointment by then-governor Mark Dayton in 2018, initially saw value in it. This has changed.

In an interview with the Guardian, Smith argued that unlike how filibuster is described by its advocates – as a tool to voice the minority – it simply gives a minority of lawmakers inordinate power.

“I have often thought it was important that minority opinion be heard in the Senate and that people should have the opportunity to meet across the differences to get things done. But that wasn’t happening either, ”Smith said.

“Systematic obstruction did not encourage compromise. Systematic obstruction allowed any member of the Senate to say no. And the more I looked at it, the more I looked at the damage it was doing to our democracy.

She added: “The more I realized it was so undemocratic, and [that] Every other governing body I have worked with has basically operated under the majority rule rule, I have come to the conclusion that filibuster contributes to a broken Senate.

Smith’s comments come as Republican senators go in the opposite direction from Democrats on filibuster.

Leading Senate Republicans have argued that the Democrats’ decision to change the legislative tool is simply a catch to wrest power away from minority lawmakers. Former South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint, a fierce conservative Republican, recently wrote his own op-ed arguing about the importance of filibuster for small states.

“The people who want to get rid of filibuster are precisely the people the founders wanted to protect us from!” DeMint wrote.

But even as support for doing something against filibuster grows, Democrats have yet to decide exactly what.

Smith said, “Well, I think the decisions about what to do and how we have to change the rules – if we have to change the rules – are decisions that have to be made in their own way. But it happens in a particular place and time. So I came to the conclusion that I would vote to get rid of the obstruction, line and sinker.

“Other members of my caucus did not come to this position. If we got to a point where somebody was going to say, “We should get rid of the filibuster on this issue”, I would think about it, of course. Of course I would.

Whatever they decide, if the Democrats make a drastic change to filibuster, they might come to regret it if the Republicans return to power in the Senate mid-term in 2022. Then they would be the minority party facing the battle. the prospect of a low contribution to legislation.

Asked about this prospect, Smith paused.

“Well,” said Smith. “I thought about it for a long time. And I thought about the issues that I hold so close to my heart that I would fear Republicans could overthrow, like women’s reproductive choice, or issues they might rekindle, like work, [or] people’s rights to organize. “

“But basically I believe that the core value in a democracy, in a republic… a majority of the people has to be able to decide, and we have to be able to make sure that happens. If Republicans were to take action to roll back the values, measures, and rights that Americans truly cherish, then this is going to be a big deal for them.