Jayapal: Biden ‘Has Been Moving’ on Filibuster, ‘Significant’ That He Left Further Options Open

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said she’s pleased that President Joe Biden has “moved,” on the filibuster, and that Biden “also didn’t close the door to something more, and I thought that was significant as well.”

Jayapal said, “Well, he’s moved, and we’re happy to see that. You know, the Progressive Caucus, and I’m leading a letter right now with moderates and progressives around reforming or eliminating the filibuster. Because it’s very clear to us that it is a relic and that it is going to block any progress on anything that we committed to voters that we would deliver. He has been moving. If you might remember, just a month or two ago, he said he didn’t believe in any filibuster reform. Today, he’s saying he believes in reforming a talking filibuster. But he also didn’t close the door to something more, and I thought that was significant as well. It’s going to take a little bit of time, I think, just from a practical perspective, to get to the place where all the Democrats are ready to do this and to really make the arguments to everybody that no progress is possible and we cannot go back to voters and say, you know what, you gave us the House, the Senate, and the White House, but because of some arcane procedure, we couldn’t deliver. That’s just not going to work. And so, we may see some bills going up and then failing, and then that helps us to create the momentum to get all our Democratic senators on board.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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