Rep. Griffith: Call Senator McConnell about changing Senate rules

This shutdown should never have happened. The Senate Democratic minority chose to play games with funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the military. It appears they would rather protect illegal immigrants currently facing no imminent risk of deportation than fund the government.

But it also shouldn’t have happened because the Senate rules are faulty. If the Senate actually operated under majority rule, as it should, the minority would not have had the votes to block funding to keep the government open. The vote Friday night was 50-49 to stay open. One of the no votes was by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a parliamentary device, so the real breakdown was 51-48. Either way, a majority!

Call Senator McConnell’s office and tell him to use the nuclear option on the modern filibuster/cloture/hold rules. Spending bills should be subject to a simple majority vote like they are in the House. Not 60%!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

202-224-2541