Former Sen. Norm Coleman is warning that eliminating the Senate filibuster would dramatically reshape the nation's political landscape, arguing the procedural rule is a safeguard against one-party rule and sweeping policy changes.
In comments focused on the future of the Senate during an appearance on Newsmax's "Ike Wingate America," Coleman dismissed the idea that the filibuster is merely a matter of tradition, calling it instead a matter of “common sense.”
He said the 60-vote threshold required to advance most legislation in the Senate forces bipartisan cooperation and prevents abrupt shifts in national policy.
“If there is no filibuster and the Democrats take back control, what you're going to see is 20 million illegals getting citizenship,” Coleman said.
He also predicted that Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., would be granted statehood, a move he argued would alter the balance of power in the Electoral College. In addition, he said Democrats would seek to expand the Supreme Court by adding more liberal justices.
Coleman framed the filibuster as part of a broader constitutional design intended to temper majority rule.
He said he believes the nation's governing system was “divinely inspired,” pointing to the Declaration of Independence and its assertion that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain rights.
"I'm a believer that the system we have was divinely inspired," Coleman said.
"And the Declaration of Independence, we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator, with certain rights. And the reality is, whether it's by accident or not, our founders, I think, were divinely inspired and set up a system where the House is the body that kind of governs by majority rule."
Under current Senate rules, most legislation requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, effectively meaning that the minority party can block bills without bipartisan support. Supporters of eliminating the filibuster argue it has been used to stall key legislation and that a simple majority should be able to govern.
Coleman pointed to 2009 as a cautionary example.
He noted that it was the only time since the 1970s that one party controlled the White House and held 60 seats in the Senate along with a House majority. During that period, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
“That was with 60 votes,” he said. “The bottom line is if one party governs and the other party watches, very bad things will happen.”
The comments came as Senate Republicans weigh options for forcing action on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
The SAVE Act would bar states from accepting and processing a federal election registration application unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.
The bill specifies acceptable documents and requires an alternative process for additional evidence.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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