Why McConnell May Want Democrats to Nuke Filibuster

Jonathan Bernstein: “For one thing, the filibuster doesn’t just protect minorities from legislation they don’t like; it also protects senators in the majority party from votes they don’t want to take. If Democrats vote to establish a filibuster exception for the debt limit, pressure will increase to do the same for every party priority — including those that lack the votes to pass.”

“If Republicans win House and Senate majorities next year, they may also be able to force Biden to veto lots of things he’d rather not veto in the run-up to the 2024 election. Of course, a future Republican majority could blow up the filibuster regardless of what Democrats do now, but McConnell probably thinks it’ll be easier if Democrats act first.”

The Washington Post notes McConnell has voted to raise the debt ceiling 32 times in his career.