Senate Democrats are debating whether to eliminate the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold as the party prepares to take control of the Senate, with some members pushing to keep the option open and others urging caution about the long-term consequences.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital that the filibuster “has to be on the table” as Democrats weigh their legislative strategy. Asked whether Democrats would move to change the rules while President Donald Trump remains in office or wait for a possible Democratic presidential win in 2028, Markey said the party is still working through its approach.
“We’re discussing a progressive agenda right now and amongst the other Democratic senators,” Markey said. “So I’ll be listening to everyone’s views on what is the best strategy.”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., struck a more wary tone, warning that abolishing the filibuster could end up hurting Democrats as much as it helps them.
“Some of these things that we see here can be very much a double-edged sword,” Kim said. “I’m not saying that’s to deter us from doing it if we decide to do it. But I wanna make sure that everyone’s clear-eyed about what we’re doing.”
Scrapping the 60-vote threshold would let the majority party pass most legislation with a simple majority — a change that would help whichever party holds the Senate, not just the one that enacts it. That means Democrats could clear the path for their own agenda now, only to hand Republicans the same tool if the GOP later retakes the chamber.
Kim said Democrats should be careful about setting a precedent they can’t undo. “When you open the door…you gotta be ready,” he said. “You don’t wanna shoot from the hip when it comes to really big issues that are affecting our country in this way.” He suggested the caucus first consider which bills are actually being blocked, and look for other ways to advance them before resorting to eliminating the filibuster. “I think we as a caucus would need to think through…what would we want to pass such that that would be an obstacle, you know, and I think we should be pushing as much as we can through other means,” Kim said.
Trump has previously pushed Senate Republicans to kill the filibuster, arguing that Democrats would do so themselves if they regained the majority. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not say whether he would support eliminating the filibuster if Democrats win the White House in 2028 when asked directly. Schumer is currently facing pressure from progressives within his own party over who should lead Senate Democrats going forward.
That leadership fight became more concrete on Thursday, when Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., announced he will run against Schumer for Senate Majority Leader. Van Hollen has been an outspoken supporter of ending the filibuster, calling it “anti-democratic.”
“My personal view has been all along that the filibuster is an anti-democratic … provision,” Van Hollen said. “It’s not in our Constitution. It was put in there by senators to enhance their power over the power of the people.”
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