Every day Democrats drag out this shutdown, they make a stronger case for ending the filibuster. Unless someone can guarantee me they won’t scrap the filibuster when they’re back in power, we should seriously consider doing it now.
Video transcript
here with Reaction Kansas Senator Roger Marshall. Senator, it's great to see you, great to have you on the show tonight. Let me ask you, will you accept this terrific offer by Chuck Schumer tonight? No, Lord, that's a non-starter. What Chuck Schumer is asking us to do is to give $25 billion to criminals every year and $35 billion to insurance companies every year. That's what it's costing American taxpayers right now to partially fund Obamacare. So that's a non-starter. And that's why here we are setting. Should we do it? Should we break the filibuster or not? I think that's the conversation that Republicans should be having right now. Senator Republicans, especially the more establishment Republicans, are very, very wedded to this idea of holding onto the filibuster with a death grip. Given what the Democrats have clearly signals they're going to do, they're going to pack the court, they're going to make Puerto Rico a state, the list goes on and on, President Trump went through it. Do you believe, given what this country and our people are facing, that it is time for the Republican party to ditch the filibuster and start doing things for the American people? Well, Laura, every day that this shutdown goes on, the more I'm convinced we need to end the filibuster. And as I do my math here, the same Democrats that some of my colleagues are counting on to protect the filibuster are the same Democrats who are afraid to come across the aisle and open the government. Just two years ago, every Senator, Democrat Senator that's still in office that's here today, voted to end the filibuster. Unless you can guarantee to me that the Democrats won't do it, then we need to seriously consider it. The only other option I can think of is enshrining it as a constitutional amendment. But this absolutely should be the conversation and the debate today for the Republican caucus. I mean, I talked to Senator Kennedy last night and he agreed with me and the president that the Democrats will jettison the filibuster. When they get the first chance, they're going to jettison. So it's who does it first. Right. But then then he would not agree to end the filibuster. Now, I think that position and I love Senator Kennedy. I can't square that position. The country is hurting. They want things done. You can't ride on the big, beautiful bill into the midterms. You're all going to get wiped out telling you the president sees it. He knows it. Tonight. Will you commit to moving with your other senators toward ending the filibuster, Senator? Well, Laura, I'm never going to make a decision like that right now. This is bigger than buying a house. I would never buy a house without making a decision sleeping on it the next night. But just one more really important point I think to make in line with President Trump's thinking here, if we ended the filibuster, we could end melon ballots that we would acquire voting ID. We may never lose the majority again if we do though, even just that alone. So every day I'm more serious about it. I'm not going to commit on national TV to doing it, but certainly every day I'm leaning that way. And if the vote was tomorrow, I would really, I would get down on my knees and pray about this one. It's a tough decision. It does protect the minority, but I'm with you. I don't see how the Democrats don't do this next time they have power in the Senate. Well, Senator, it's great to have you on the show. And I know the Senate is going to do the right thing here. I've got to help the American people. Only way to help them at this point. We have no other option. Unfortunately, Senator, come back soon. Thank you very much.
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