Filibuster Opponents Have Gone Quiet Since Democrats Lost the Senate
The shoe is now on the other foot.
: A U.S. flag flies in front of the dome of the U.S. Capitol February 12, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
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A large coalition of filibuster opponents has gone silent after Democrats lost the Senate in January, while numerous Democratic senators who were vocal in their criticism of the blocking tool have similarly ceased to be vocal on the issue.
Now in the minority after eight years of Senate control, Democrats have re-discovered the value of the 60-vote threshold, using it regularly to block passage of bills that are controversial but backed by a majority of senators.