GUNTERSVILLE — With slim majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, many Republicans have called for ending the 60-vote filibuster to push through President Donald Trump's agenda.
U.S. Senate candidate Jared Hudson says he would oppose ending the filibuster completely, but he would support ending the silent filibuster to require lawmakers to remain on the floor and debate.
Hudson was asked his opinion on the filibuster during a Marshall County Republican Women's Club meeting on Thursday.
"The filibuster right now is the only shield that we have if you're not in the majority," Hudson said. "As conservatives, we don't believe in the government jamming things down your throat. So, I believe keeping the filibuster is good, but this is the change that we have to make. We have to end the silent filibuster and the zombie filibuster. Senators can't just signal to filibuster and then not show up.
"They go out and play golf. If we're going to have a filibuster, people like Chuck Schumer need to stand on the floor and earn the reason they're signaling the filibuster to shut the government down."
Hudson said ending the filibuster completely would allow Democrats, if or when they win back control, to pack the U.S. Supreme Court and give statehood to Washington, D.C, and Puerto Rico.
"Those two things would never change in our lifetime… It would be very difficult to undo that. So that's why I'm not for ending the filibuster, but I am for ending the silent filibuster," he said.
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