Messer Votes to Reopen Government, Authors House Resolution Urging Senate to End Filibuster

Press Release

Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) today voted to end the government shutdown and introduced a House resolution that calls for the U.S. Senate to immediately change its rules and eliminate the modern filibuster.

On Friday, the Senate failed to pass the House's government funding bill, which also included funding for the military, a two-year delay of the medical device tax, and a six-year extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program. It received a simple majority vote of 50-49 in the Senate, and would have passed, averting a shutdown, if not for the filibuster.

Both the House and Senate voted to reopen the government today, passing a three-week spending bill.

"Because of the filibuster, a liberal minority in the Senate was able to play politics and shut down the government," Messer said. "To ensure this never happens again, the Senate needs to change its rules, end the filibuster, and put the American people back in charge."

If passed, Messer's resolution would express the will of the U.S. House of Representatives that the U.S. Senate should end the filibuster.

Messer has led calls for the Senate to eliminate the filibuster, which requires the U.S. Senate to have 60 votes -- instead of a simple majority-- to pass legislation.

The modern filibuster has been used more than 600 times since 1990. The modern filibuster is not used to extend debate or stall a vote, but rather to block the Senate's Motion to Proceed, preventing legislation from being debated or voted on at all.

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