Sen. Tom Cotton quotes Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in speech defending filibuster

Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton gave a passionate speech last week in defense of the filibuster rule composed entirely of comments from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY). His comments were made previously defending the legislative filibuster. 

“Right now we are on the precipice of a constitutional crisis. We are about to step into the abyss,” Cotton said, quoting directly from a speech Schumer gave in 2005 denouncing what he called the “nuclear option” of eliminating the filibuster.

The filibuster rule in the Senate is a 60-vote requirement to advance legislation in the chamber. Cotton’s remarks came ahead of President Joe Biden’s planned meeting with Democratic lawmakers to discuss altering the Senate’s rules to potentially make passing his agenda easier. 

“Are senators merely doing their jobs as legislators, responding to a generalized public calling for the abolition of the filibuster? Clearly not,” Cotton continued, still reading from Schumer’s speech.

“It is not the American people at large who are demanding denotation of the nuclear option. The nuclear option is being pushed largely by the radioactive rhetoric of a small band of radicals who hold in their hands the political fortunes of the president.”

Cotton furthermore quoted from a 2003 Schumer speech which defended the filibuster as “embodied in the spirit and rule of the Constitution.” Cotton continued quoting, “The Senate is not a majoritarian body,” while hitting the podium for emphasis and mimicking Schumer’s speech patterns.

For several months, Schumer has been looking to persuade moderate Democrats to vote in favor of ending the filibuster. Doing so would likely ensure the passage of a federal overhaul of U.S. elections as well as much of Biden’s economic agenda.

Earlier this month, Schumer sent a letter to Democratic colleagues notifying them that the Senate would be voting on a rule change, leading to widespread condemnation from Republicans.