MASSIVE WIN FOR REPUBLICANS: As Senate Minority Whip John Thune Says That The Republicans Will Keep The Filibuster If They Win in 2022

It was reported by Fox News that Senate Minority Whip John Thune told Fox News Wednesday that Republicans will keep the legislative filibuster if they take the chamber in the 2022 midterms, even as Senate Democrats are in the middle of an assault on the 60-vote threshold that applies to most bills. 

“If we get the majority back, absolutely we’re going to preserve the legislative filibuster, as hard as it will be,” Thune told Fox News Digital in an interview. “For anything to be really enduring around here needs to be done in a bipartisan way with at least some level of cooperation from the other side. And that’s the essence of the Senate.”

“We understand that majorities flip. … You may be in the majority today but someday you’re going to be in the minority,” he said.

Thune’s commitment is not the last word on if a GOP Senate majority would keep the filibuster. Other senators may have different opinions, and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, explicitly declined to commit to keeping the filibuster earlier this week. He argued that it would make no sense for Republicans to keep the Senate tradition if Democrats will later do away with it. 

But several other GOP senators at the same press conference raised their hands to say they would keep the filibuster in a majority. And Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she thinks Republicans will keep the filibuster next time they are in the majority. 

“I can’t speak for my colleagues. But I certainly am committed to keeping the legislative filibuster in place, and I think most Republicans are,” she said in an interview with Fox News. “I’ll give you a good example of that. President Trump repeatedly called upon the Republican Senate to do away with the filibuster, because he was frustrated that his complete agenda was not getting enacted and the process was slow.”

She added: “Time and time again, the leaders, Republican leadership told him ‘no.’ So I think that’s a pretty good indication that we stand for principles, regardless of who is empowered.”