Washington ¨C President Joe Biden on Tuesday backed reforming, rather than scrapping, the filibuster after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Democrats that ending the long-standing Senate procedure that can block partisan legislation would bring the Democratic president¡¯s agenda to a standstill.
Top Democrats, including the two highest-ranking party members in the Senate, have stepped up rhetoric in recent days about the future of the filibuster, which requires support from 60 of the chamber¡¯s 100 members to pass most legislation ¡ª effectively giving power to the minority party in a closely-divided chamber.
The parliamentary custom has long been seen as a mechanism requiring bipartisan consensus that distinguishes the Senate from the House of Representatives, where only a simple majority is needed to pass legislation. But with the Senate riven by a rancorous partisan divide, consensus has become an increasingly elusive goal.
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