Ari Berman: Dems Should Abolish the Filibuster ‘to Save American Democracy’

Tur Ari thanks so ░░░░░░░░ for joining us You ░░░░░░░░ done a lot of ░░░░░░░░ on it being now ░░░░░░░░ never on voting rights ░░░░░░░░ me why the moment ░░░░░░░░ so crucial BERMAN Hey ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ having me The clock ░░░░░░░░ really ticking here because ░░░░░░░░ 2021 the Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ did everything it wanted ░░░░░░░░ the state level to ░░░░░░░░ it harder to vote ░░░░░░░░ to undermine democracy passing ░░░░░░░░ wave of new voter ░░░░░░░░ laws election subversion laws ░░░░░░░░ maps and Democrats did ░░░░░░░░ to stop those efforts ░░░░░░░░ now we re heading ░░░░░░░░ an election in which ░░░░░░░░ are going to go ░░░░░░░░ the polls under restrictive ░░░░░░░░ laws under unfair maps ░░░░░░░░ laws giving unprecedented power ░░░░░░░░ Republicans who say the ░░░░░░░░ was stolen and Democrats ░░░░░░░░ a very narrow window ░░░░░░░░ pass legislation to reverse ░░░░░░░░ And that s why ░░░░░░░░ re seeing both Senate ░░░░░░░░ and the President make ░░░░░░░░ case that the need ░░░░░░░░ to do this now ░░░░░░░░ there really is no ░░░░░░░░ time to wait Tur ░░░░░░░░ to change the filibuster ░░░░░░░░ they re running into ░░░░░░░░ brick wall when it ░░░░░░░░ to Joe Manchin So ░░░░░░░░ seems like I mean ░░░░░░░░ just wonder where do ░░░░░░░░ have to go Joe ░░░░░░░░ is talking about changing ░░░░░░░░ of the rules What ░░░░░░░░ is he talking about ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN Well he s ░░░░░░░░ about changing rules that ░░░░░░░░ allow the Senate to ░░░░░░░░ more smoothly It would ░░░░░░░░ it easier to debate ░░░░░░░░ for example but he ░░░░░░░░ t embraced actually passing ░░░░░░░░ bills with a simple ░░░░░░░░ vote So there s ░░░░░░░░ an asymmetry in tactics ░░░░░░░░ Republicans at the state ░░░░░░░░ have passed all of ░░░░░░░░ anti democracy measures through ░░░░░░░░ majority party line votes ░░░░░░░░ Joe Manchin is saying ░░░░░░░░ need a bipartisan supermajority ░░░░░░░░ the Senate to protect ░░░░░░░░ rights or to pass ░░░░░░░░ any other piece of ░░░░░░░░ And that s created ░░░░░░░░ odd situation where Republicans ░░░░░░░░ basically do anything they ░░░░░░░░ to undermine democracy at ░░░░░░░░ state level but Democrats ░░░░░░░░ t take any action ░░░░░░░░ protect voting rights at ░░░░░░░░ federal level because Manchin ░░░░░░░░ Sinema and maybe a ░░░░░░░░ others are still supporting ░░░░░░░░ filibuster Tur What about ░░░░░░░░ threats from Mitch McConnell ░░░░░░░░ I ll read you ░░░░░░░░ he was saying today ░░░░░░░░ Democrats about trying to ░░░░░░░░ the filibuster He said ░░░░░░░░ my colleague talking about ░░░░░░░░ Schumer tries to break ░░░░░░░░ Senate to silence those ░░░░░░░░ of Americans we will ░░░░░░░░ their voices heard in ░░░░░░░░ chamber in ways that ░░░░░░░░ more inconvenient for the ░░░░░░░░ and this White House ░░░░░░░░ what anybody has seen ░░░░░░░░ living memory If the ░░░░░░░░ leader tries to shut ░░░░░░░░ of Americans and entire ░░░░░░░░ out of the business ░░░░░░░░ governing the operations of ░░░░░░░░ body will change Oh ░░░░░░░░ that much is true ░░░░░░░░ not in ways that ░░░░░░░░ the rule breakers Not ░░░░░░░░ ways that advantage this ░░░░░░░░ this majority or their ░░░░░░░░ I guarantee it He ░░░░░░░░ saying Republicans have 50 ░░░░░░░░ in the Senate it ░░░░░░░░ the largest minority that ░░░░░░░░ can have Be careful ░░░░░░░░ you wish for BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ I m sure there ░░░░░░░░ be retribution from Mitch ░░░░░░░░ but I think it ░░░░░░░░ also important that Mitch ░░░░░░░░ already created an exception ░░░░░░░░ the filibuster to confirm ░░░░░░░░ justices for Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court So ░░░░░░░░ already broke the Senate ░░░░░░░░ Senate is already broken ░░░░░░░░ question is what to ░░░░░░░░ about it And right ░░░░░░░░ the status quo benefits ░░░░░░░░ Because if no voting ░░░░░░░░ legislation passes then all ░░░░░░░░ these efforts to undermine ░░░░░░░░ at the state level ░░░░░░░░ be allowed to go ░░░░░░░░ effect going forward So ░░░░░░░░ now it s on ░░░░░░░░ Democrats to try to ░░░░░░░░ their rules to save ░░░░░░░░ democracy Mitch McConnell doesn ░░░░░░░░ need to do anything ░░░░░░░░ he s already broken ░░░░░░░░ U S Senate and ░░░░░░░░ are already undermining democracy ░░░░░░░░ the state level.”