Congress remains locked in a political standoff in what is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. While headlines focus on immediate negotiations, such as public safety nets and healthcare, and understandably so, a broader danger lies in how institutional norms might be compromised under political pressures.

Among the most destructive possibilities is the elimination of the Senate filibuster.

The filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation, is not a procedural gimmick. It is a structural safeguard rooted in the Senate’s distinct constitutional role compared to the House. Preserving it is essential to maintaining balance, protecting the minority voice, and preventing the kind of rapid, destabilizing policy shifts that the Founders feared.

The Federalist

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