Congressional Republicans are understandably frustrated with their Democratic colleagues’ intransigence as the present government shutdown rolls on without an end in sight. Some, such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), have even begun advocating for making fundamental changes to legislative procedure. Last week, he urged his counterparts in the Senate to invoke the “nuclear option” and end the filibuster to pass a government funding bill.

But doing so would be a terrible mistake. As I have argued elsewhere in the past, the filibuster is an essential aspect of our constitutional structure. The framers intended the Senate to represent the enduring interests of the several states, not the mere whims of temporary political majorities. However vexing the procedure is, it ensures that our r

See Full Page