‘Jim Crow Relic’: Talarico Calls For Ending Senate Filibuster

Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, who beat Republican Ken Paxton on Tuesday, says Democrats should end the Senate filibuster now that they hold the chamber. Speaking with NBC News correspondent Ryan Chandler, Talarico argued that a majority has the right to govern, and he described the procedure as a "Jim Crow relic" that produces gridlock. He said scrapping it would let Congress tackle the price of groceries, gasoline, utilities and health care, and that either party ought to be able to act when it controls the Senate, according to Daily Wire.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would not commit. Asked whether Democrats intend to eliminate the rule, he said the party's first priority is lowering costs and working through the legislative process. Democrats fall short of the 60 votes usually needed to break a filibuster on most bills, though budget reconciliation and certain other measures are already exempt.

The question has a Republican backstory. President Donald Trump pressed GOP senators to abolish the rule in 2025 and again in July 2026, but Majority Leader John Thune said the votes were not there. Sens. Thom Tillis and James Lankford defended it, while Sen. Ron Johnson predicted Democrats would eventually act.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Daily Wire’s reporting. Read the full story at Daily Wire →