The 60-vote filibuster rule is undemocratic, and it needs to go.

But as long as the 60-vote filibuster rule remains in place, a minority of senators — representing a disproportionately white segment of the country’s population — can stop any legislative action in its tracks.

The filibuster as used today is not a talk-til-you-drop marathon session on the Senate floor. Instead, it’s a mechanism that allows one senator to object to a bill behind closed doors. Suddenly, the hurdle a bill must clear goes from a simple majority to 60 senators—a much higher bar.

In practice, the filibuster doesn’t inspire bipartisan action—it’s a recipe for gridlock and gives the Senate minority total veto power over the entire legislative process, even though they lost the election. 

The filibuster rule is undemocratic — it’s outrageous that a bill supported by the vast majority of Americans can be blocked by a handful of senators who represent a minority of Americans So if we want the new Congress to get anything done, we need to fix the filibuster.