Democrats Focus on the Filibuster

• "​​We hope our Republican colleagues change course and work with us. But if they do not, the Senate will debate and consider changes to Senate rules on or before January 17, Martin Luther King Jr. Day," Schumer said.

🏛️ Why it's important: The letter is the furthest Democratic leadership has gone in calling for alterations to the Senate filibuster, a procedure used by lawmakers to prevent legislation from being debated or brought to a vote. It takes the support of 60 senators to override a filibuster.

• To change the Senate's procedural rules, Dems would have to vote as a unified 50-member bloc – something they've struggled with as of late.

📸 The big picture… Some progressives are calling for the filibuster to be abolished, while other moderate Dems, including Sens. Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), have said they oppose eliminating the rule outright.

Potential compromises that have been floated include:

• Eliminating the 60-vote hurdle needed to initiate debate, while leaving the 60-vote threshold required to end it.
• Making 41 senators show up in-person to invoke the filibuster instead of requiring approval from 60 senators before debate can begin.
• Carving out a 'one-time exception' for voting rights legislation while leaving the filibuster otherwise intact.