Filibuster

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORNYN. Now, Madam President, there is a lot of work that we can and should do on a bipartisan basis because, of course, not every issue should be or is a partisan issue. But I will have to tell you that old habits die hard around here.

Despite the clear need for cooperation to move critical legislation through a 50-50 Senate, the majority leader is resisting any progress on issues that we can and should be addressing. Instead, he is trying to drum up a scenario where somehow we decide to eliminate the 60-vote requirement, otherwise known as the filibuster. But it is that 60-vote requirement that requires both parties to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work and build consensus.

In a country of 330 million people, we need to have the continuity and the planning and the stability of bipartisan work products, not just a partisan bill that can be undone after the next election for Congress or after the next Presidential election.

Well, over several months, our Democratic colleagues have been asked about the fate of the filibuster, whether they would be willing to eliminate the filibuster in pursuit of partisan goals. Senator Schumer, for one, has repeatedly said that ``all options are on the table''-- whatever that means--and a number of our Democratic colleagues have parroted the same line.

Now, they have looked for examples of Republicans filibustering bills, just like they have done over the last 6 years. They assumed this would be the golden ticket to rid themselves of the bipartisan filibuster requirement and escape blame, only things haven't quite worked out that way. The roadblock to bipartisanship isn't on the Republican side but, rather, on the Democrat side.

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